Libby's eating is driving me crazy, she has become worse than fussy and is just purely refusing anything.

Today for example, she had her cocopops for breakfast, asked for a ham sandwich for lunch - as soon as I gave her it she pushes it away saying 'I dont want it', she normally LOVES curry but literally didnt touch it at dinner. We dont give her snacks but it makes no difference. So she has had a bowl of cocopops and a chunk of cheese today (gave her the cheese as didnt want her going to school with nothing)

She is so skinny that the only trousers/bottoms she can wear is jeans with an adjustable waist

I really dont know what to do anymore

hmmm Ive not had this problem so my suggestion might be crap

BUT Izzy will do ANYTHING for a chocolate coin - so if she likes some kind of sweetie/treat/drink maybe bribe her into eating a bit of dinner for a treat .. so give her a treat for eating a mouthful...then the next day she has to eat 2 mouthfuls etc etc

The reason I say it is because being hungry is something that you get used to (I know cos I used to skip meals and then ended up not even noticing!) - so unless something makes her put it in her mouth she will probably not feel hungry and that wont change ... if she starts to put a small bit in and then more and more her tummy will get used to having food in it again so she will hopefully start to dislike feeling empty again

Ah it's not crap Lisa, thank you for replying!

We have tried all of that though, I got her advent calender out and told her if she had some of her ham sandwich she could have her chocolate but nope nothing.

It scares the hell out of me that she has eaten so little but I really dont know what to do.

The frustrating thing is its very inconsistant, one day she'll eat loads (very rare) or there would be certain meals that we just know she'll enjoy but like today she has started refusing even these now.

Yeh I can imagine it must be worrying

How does she eat at school with other kids around her?

Well she's only there for 2 afternoons from 1230 til 3 so they (and she should) have had their lunch by then and may just have a snack. She tells us she's had an apple and a banana but I dont know if she's just had a nibble or eaten the lot. I think I'll have a word with the helpers on Tuesday and see if she does eat while she's there.

its not her last teeth is it suse?

i know it wont be but just wanted to check. i would say as hard as it is just let her get on with it it sounds like a fad and she is pushing boundaries, dont ofer alternatives. dont back down and stay strong

sorry rubbish advice really

Ah hun I wish I could give you some advice but you know C is also driving me crackers doing same. She wont eat soup now and is fussing about pasta with pesto which has always been a staple. I just make sure im getting cheese in her and I know she eats well at lunch so I pack food in her then so when dinner rolls round if she refuses at least i know shes had summat. Today shes had 1/4 of a peanut butter on toast at brekkie, a small cheese sarnie and a handful hula hoops at lunch and only ate at dinner cos I threatened to turn the xmas lights off if she didnt or she was gonna go without she just pushed it away. Shes looking skinny as hell. Have you got her on multivits?

Nah, she has all of her teeth now Jo. We dont offer her any alternatives, she bascially gets what she gets or nothing but she's just not bothered if she goes hungry

I know C is so similar Lise, it's awful isn't it - especially seeing them get so thin too. I always feel guilty for having a good meal or having a snack when she's in bed and hasnt eaten even though she's been offered the same but just wont touch it. I havent got her on vits, completely forgotton about them - will go and get some tomorrow for definate (thank you for reminding me)

xx

ive got c on haliborange multivits with Iron and Calcium. C is like Libby, if i say eat your dinner or go hungry she wont ask me for food before bed she just has her milk. She rarely asks for snacks in the day either.

i would love to help, but tbh i'm stalking your page because i have the exact same problem with lewis at the minute.



tried giving him what he likes...refuses

no snacks in the day...still refuses

tried bribing him with a desert if he eats...still refuses

If all else fails..you can buy those meal replacement drinks that taste like a smoothie. Not a perma solution, but at least you know she's getting something good in there that will give her all the vits and mins..as well as proteins and carbs. Carnation instant breakfast tastes ok..but there are some boost drinks geared for kids who are just not eating that much. Maky goes thru phases like that too..and is the skinniest of my 3. She grazes most of the day..and hardly eats a full meal. xxx

have you tried letting her graze then?
just leave stuff out. bread sticks, cheese, fruit??
and dont fuss whether she eats or doesnt?
another one to try maybe?

yeah something like build up? i know like jen says it isn't a great long term plan but it might get her used to being full and having a bit more energy? the chocolate one isn't that bad actually she might quite like it

Hi huni, e isn't a great eater. Somedays she'll eat almost nothing. She also has to have adjustable waists and she has to have the buttons three or so holes in. E likes her milk so we know she's getting some goodness. Has this been going on long? E is a real fussy eater. All I can say is keep going. She might have a very small appetite. Oh mum is not a foodie and doesn't eat loads I figure e is similar. Maybe introduce more snacks. E has never eaten loads so it's not a massive change for me. She might just not eat a lot. E sometimes looks horribly skinny but she's darting around and lively. Sorry not to be more help but you're not alone xx

Thanks ladies, really appreciate the replies.

Well I'm thinking the reason for not eating yesterday was because she was coming down with a bug, this morning she woke up being sick - but because she hadnt eaten there wasnt much there. Tried her with some toast this morning but it came straight back up, so now shes going to lose even more weight which she cant afford to do

Hopefully she'll be better soon and I can try some other methods of getting food in her xx

ahhh hun I don't know what to say because Tyler is exactly the same. He wouldn't even sit at the table to SEE what his dinner was last night he just cried. Said he didn't want anything so he went to bed with nothing

I dread the weekend because at least in the week he's at nursery and he eats there but last weekend he barely ate a thing... I think he had a pain au chocolate on Saturday and not much else, and a tiny bit of a chicken burger on Sunday and little else.

All we do with Tyler is try to make try things... I'm not THAT concerned about the amount he eats because he does have days where he eats really well, (not often but...) so if he's at the table and won't eat anything I ask him if he wants something else, if he asks for something else then I say well you have to eat this, this and this or you have to try this and this then you can have X and he does it.. so then I let him have whatever he wants.

He used to have favourites too that he would always eat but now I haven't got a clue what he iwll or won't eat it changes daily!

somthing you could try is not being so stressed about things, easier said than done i know . I have 3 children that live with me and alfie is the only fussy one. My son alfie is a grazer, he pics at food continusly and very rarely finishes a meal. Try making a few different things through the day and encorage her to eat, invite her over when your eating and offer her some. If she refuses dont stress about it. letting her know somthings rearly yummy can be enough to get her to give in and try abit. Alfie loves eating somthing that im eating, Even if its a few mouth fulls at a time it still adds up.

Through the day just keep offering her different things as opposed to purley sticking to meal times, she might just not be a big eater but in order to increase her appitite she has to eat. little and often usually helps, goodluck xx

I totally know what your going through Suse. Oliver is the exact same. I look at children at his school, the same age and his close friends (one of whom is apparently a fussy eater too - she is but...) they all seem to have 'meat' on their bones and oliver is just so skinny. Over the years i've pulled my hair out over it all..and i'm at my witts end!

As I said the other day Oliver was poorly too and did go off his food before his symptoms appeared, I thought he was just going through his 'phase' but when he did come down with this bug, he ate 1/2 a bowl of porridge for 6 days and nothing else, I mean absolutely nothing

I started doing a food diary of the things he's eaten since. This weekend he's picked up a bit and has actually cleared his plate for both main meals this weekend but that was with OH 'feeding' him, which I don't really agree with but he was eating, so I went with it.
I've started giving him vitamins too. Oliver doesn't and never has, asked for food or said he's hungry, never.
But the other day I was busy and time kinda run away with me and he actually said 'whats for dinner mummy?' I was like >>> ..so at the moment I am leaving him to ask me and he does seem to be doing it right on cue and even demanding 'a SNACK DADDY!!!' LOL
At meal times when me and OH sit down to eat I leave Oliver's to one side, and only give him it if hee actually asks for it. This probably sounds mean, but I just don't want to get into the big ish' of 'sit down and eat your dinner!' cos it just causes more stress than its worth.

I'm sorry for the total ramble, but I just want to let you know i'm totally with you lol. I feel bad sometime cos I get angry with him and I know I shouldn't and am making a conscious effort not to now, I just take a deep breath and accept it.

Theres noting much we can do tbh, we offer the food and they eat if they are hungry. I watched a documentary on ITV2 last week about fussy eaters..and although I didn't agree with everything that one of the doctors said..I can see their point. Just go with it hun. Don't make a huge issue if she doesn't eat.

Honestly though..do the diary. I find seeing it writen down in black and white doesn't seem half bad

Hows it going hon. Did you get some vits? IVe been giving this a lotta thought to try and think what few things do work for me. The vits seem to help as they perk her up a bit then shes more inclined to eat if shes less lethargic iyswim.

Also is Libby anything like C in that she likes certain food in certain places? C's supermarket thing is she likes to eat a fruit pouch when we are walking round the shops so i ALWAYS head for the baby aisle and pick her up an ellas kitchen pouch when we are there. And raisins seem to be for the park, she runs around while i sit with a handful of them and wanders bac and forth for them. At other times i struggle to get either of those in her just cos thats what she associates them with. So I always make sure we have raisins for the park and pouches for the shops as its a chance to get something in.

Also smoothies. C adores these and gets one big cupful a day, packed with nutrients and relatively calorific for a drink. Im now considering not paying for the anymore as they are expensive when i have a blender and can buy fruit. Plus I can sneak in extra bits this way-either a pure fruit smoothie or add in a bit of milk and icecream to bulk it out.

Ie mentioned i think picking the meal she likes best and packing the food in then. For C thats lunch. So I make sure I pile plenty in.

Probably nothing there you havent thought of though but it all iv come up with xxx

Thanks again.

Zee, thats a good idea about letting her ask for food rather than trying ot force it on her if shes not hungry. She does often ask for lunch as we usually do things afterwards (Simon finishes work at lunch so we'll go out etc.) but she's not actually hungry which is frustrating. From now on I'm going to do that with dinner though, as she's started to refuse to sit at the table so tonight I'm just going to do as you do.

Lise, I did buy some vits - got some yesterday and she thinks they are brilliant, she saw the packet this morning and was desparate to have one so told her to eat her breakfast first and she could - and she did!!! She doesnt really associate food with places - only Nana and Grandads for sweeties Its hit and miss whether she eats well when out too which is so annoying. Again with smoothies etc. its so hit and miss it drives us crazy! One things she does really love (as you know) is Ovaltine so I've been letting her have one of those a day as it's full of calories.

And with meals, it's never a certain meal that she'll eat well - it varies day to day.

I'm hoping the reason she has been particularly bad this last week is because of the bug and that as she's eaten all of her brekkie she's getting her (tiny) appetite back. xx