My 18 month old will eat only about twice a day, other than that he prefers to just have something in his sippy cup. Anu suggestions?

Hannah - posted on 05/13/2012

I know how tough it is with these in laws who think they no best....so infuriating! Totally agree with the other posters thou. Both mine have gone through several phases of not eating (and eating pretty much nothing apart from a few small snacks for several days!!) Forcefeeding can lead to much worse issues with food and really so long as your child is happy and responsive there is no need to be alarmed and it will run its course. Making a big deal of it will only make it worse!!! (especially when there IS NO ISSUE in the first place lol). I think people forget how much smallr and how much less kids need to eat compared to adults!

LaLasha - posted on 05/13/2012

Tell her to shut up or she can't come over. She is wrong end of story.

Patricia - posted on 05/09/2012

leave snacks in front of him my sons prefers that healthy snacks of course

Heather - posted on 05/06/2012

Your son is fine, and your MIL needs to STOP! This is NOT her child, he is yours. He doesn't need to eat that often, not all 18 month olds do. You should also NEVER, EVER force a child to eat. He will eat when he is hungry. You or your someday, soon to be, MIL, shouldn't force him to eat either. She could seriously cause him long term damage and eating problems if she doesn't leave him alone. So ignore it when she talks about it or change the subject. Tell her that he snacks all day long and that's why he isn't hungry for major meals. Most 18 month olds do that, they do a lot of snacking, but they don't always sit down for a full meal morning, noon, and night. Anyways, I would love to give her a piece of my mind.! Look up some research on forcefeeding a child. You will find MANY articles about it and about how it can damage him. It's wrong to force kids to eat when they don't want to.

Eron - posted on 05/05/2012

If he's growing and healthy, dont worry. At 18 months his stomach is small - he doesnt need huge amounts of food to be full. You should aim for three meals a day as part of his routine x

Veronika - posted on 05/02/2012

As long as he is thriving and growing he is fine. Toddlers can be very picky, then change completely and eat everything in sight. If you are worried about his food intake or nutritional needs speak to the pediatrician and may be give him a daily vitamin to supplement. As far as the drinks go, as long as he is drinking plenty of water and not overloading on juice he will be fine.

Krista - posted on 05/02/2012

That is extremely normal for toddlers -- your fiance's mom must have forgotten what it was like to have a toddler! They're notoriously picky.

And you can't FORCE a toddler to eat. That's ridiculous. What, does she want you to traumatize him and turn him off of food altogether?

What I would recommend is for you take note of what he eats, and then bring it to your doctor and ask if he/she thinks your child is getting the proper nutrients. If so, then you can say to your MIL, "I spoke with his doctor, and brought a list of everything he's eating, and the doctor said that he's just fine. But it's nice of you to be so concerned."

Sarah - posted on 05/01/2012

Kids are kids and their eating is going to go up and down. What I would do is limit how much he drinks. Especially if he carries his sippy cup around with him as he plays. Often times kids will drink more then their bodies needs because it is always there with them and it is easy....they don't have to stop playing to eat. Have him sit at the table with you for breakfast, lunch and supper. My rule for drinks is I will give you about 4-6 ounces of milk at the beginning of your meal. You must eat all of your food on your plate (kid size protions) in order to get more to drink. This way they are getting the liquid they need, but are not getting too much. I also have another rule about only drinking at the table....cuts down the drinking just because it is with me. This also helps when I move to using a reg. cup. So usually they get something to drink for all 3 meals and then 2 snack times throughout our day. If it is a hot day and we have been running around I do offer water more often....but same rule applies about drinking at the table.
I would not force the food thing......just watch how much liquid he is getting as that might be filling him up more then what he needs.