Oliver has always been a fairly good eater, always willing to try new things etc. He's had his phases of fussiness, but its just getting silly now.

He'll eat his Bfast fine, eat a tiny bit of his lunch and totally refuse tea, but then he's waking at sparrow's fart the next day starving hungry.

I've tried everything, making sure he gets healthy snacks, cutting down snacks, limiting his fluid intake before and during meals, the list is endless.

If he refuses it, i've never rose to it..I just remove it and thats it.

But have just been reading up cos i'm worried he's gunna start loosing weight soon cos he's eating very little. Anyhoo, one site says "if he refuses a meal, just remove the meal and offer bread and butter and a glass of milk - Do not cook another or different meal for the LO" << I don't do that anyway.
And the other site (Annabel Karmel) says "Remove the meal and don't offer anything else until the next meal" << Thats what I have always done..but he litrally won't eat

He's had his BFast this morning refused everything all day until I offered him a weetabix before bed, which he ate half of. He's not unwell at all, and is totally fine in himself. His eating habits are getting beyond a joke now

What do/would you do??

Zee....im sorry im just pissing myself here "sparrow's fart" PMSL. thats the funniest thing ive heard in ages x

MiniMeg wrote:

Zee....im sorry im just pissing myself here "sparrow's fart" PMSL. thats the funniest thing ive heard in ages x

Pmsl - you never heard of that?? Its veeeeeery early lol

Hey Zee

It's been a good long while since I've posted about Thomas's eating habits coz tbh it just got boring (me moaning on about what a crap eater he is) but nothing has changed. He too goes through phases but since ten months has been a fussy little git for no apparent reason. As far as I can tell I did everything right when I weaned him, made my own foods up, gave a wide range of healthy foods and snacks, introduced lumps/finger foods at the appropriate times etc. He was doing brilliantly till one day he decided he wouldn't eat from a spoon anymore. I was assured this was a normal phase and followed all advide I was given. Offered finger foods as well as his meals, didn't offer alternatives if he refused to eat (sometimes offered fruit only), allowed him to feed himself blah blah blah. Guess what? - none of it worked! It is nearly a year later and he is still an atrocious eater. He just never seems hungry, never 'asks' for food and picks at anything he is given. Wont entertain a vegetable anywhere near him - wont even taste it (how the hell does he even know?).

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I got sick and tired of worrying about him, I've spoken to numerous HVs about it and they just all say the same thing - as long as he appears healthy, energetic and well he is fine. Thomas is like a little whirlwind, never sits still, has to run everywhere not walk. Ive had him weighed and he is on the 50th centile and while this is a drop in centile since his 12 month check up, he is still gaining so I have stopped worrying.

It sounds to me hun like youre doing your best for him and thats all you can do. He wont allow himself to starve so just carry on with what you're doing and hope he grows out of it. Thomas will on occasion suprise me by eating something new but I carry on as if nothing is different, put his dinner in front of him and ignore him, if I make a fuss about him eating he gets worse so I leave him to it. I honestly think sometimes he is scared of food .

I wish I had some real advice for you hun but I have been through a personal hell with my son worrying about his eating habits and his health, I have tried everything I can think of or google and it changes nothing, he is who he is - a shite eater! I have no idea where he gets it from as me and his dad love our food . I'm just hoping now that when I start to wean Hannah in a few months he will see her eating a variety of food and want to try them? Heres hoping!

Sorry didnt mean to take over your thread with my own issues but just wanted you to know you are not alone with the fussy little boy and worried mummy thing! (((((((hugs))))))) coz I know how stressful it can be.

xx

Seb's a bit younger but he's going through a phase where he wants to be in control - which means sometimes he has to have something as finger food alongside the meal (e.g. bread with cooked meals, cheerios at b'fast) as well as a second spoon for him to use (he can't load a spoon himself yet though he does sometimes dip it in the bowl).

Also if he eats at the same time as us he wants the same as us - only natural I guess - but that means rice crispies instead of porridge for example and I'm sure he doesn't get full that way.

We have to keep dessert (usually fruit) hidden until the main is done, and let him play with the empty bowl (I think this habit must have developed from the nursery routine).

Good luck, hope you get something into him, Seb is a greedy guts most of the time but I know how frustrating it is when he won't eat.

Ros

Only thing I can think of is teeth bothering him?! Is he picky with his food - has to be a certain temp / texture etc? Or is it just not interested?

I'd be upping milk intake or swapping other drinks for milk so that I know little one's getting some more nourishment from that while he goes through this stage... which it hopefully is. Does he like bread / toast - does he like toasties or could you try other things on toast like spreads, tuna, dairylea etc.? Or are there some foods he hasn't tried in a while that you could re-introduce?! (can you see the straws I'm clutching at? :lol)

We tried a verggie burger yesterday - you'd think I was trying to poison the child xx

Thanks Gals.

Argh, its so hard, frustrating
I am always the one saying "aww, don't worry, he won't let himself starve - blah blah blah!!" and here's me - can't even listen to my own words.

Today, I didn't even offer him any dinner Sounds bad doesn't it, but we were out and I didn't want to be forking out for him to refuse it, so today he's actually eaten 'quite' well, Big bowl of cereal and banana chips, a sausage and bit of bread, an orange and a mango and orange smoothy.

I am gunna increase his milk a bit I think, He usually has 2 cups through out the day but am gunna add another one with his breakfast.

I have always been one of them mothers that If he refuses his meal, he doesn't get another option, maybe just fruit..no 'sweet'
But think I will just offer the slice of bread if he refuses anything, cos the other day he was wingeing that turned into hysterical crying cos he was so hungry but just wouldn't eat what i'd made

Oliver sounds just like Jack! There has been some good advice on this post.

Oliver sounds EXACTLY that same as Libby, she too will have a large bowl of cereal for breakfast then a nibble at lunch and then will basically refuse any dinner, I would rather her go hungry and learn that she won't get anything else but Simon is worrying about how small she is and that she will lose even more weight so he does offer her different thing (most of the time she doesn't eat). What's really frustrating is that when we're dishing it up she is whinging saying 'yum yum yum' so she is obviously hungry but then pushes the plate away when she gets it It's at the point now where I absolutely dread dinner times Sorry no advice but also wanted you to know that you're not alone xxx

I cant offer much advice, Izzy is a gutz and eats almost anything at any time, so on the rare occassions it happens I ofer something else, although not a whole meal, usually just crackers or toast

So I would say that I agree with the offering bread, toast whatever they will eat thats not 'special' - mainly because I feel that I would never want Izzy to get used to the feel of hunger - I want her to know she needs to eat.
I suppose its personal for me because I know that I am guilty of ignoring the feeling of hunger..and missing meals cos I am too busy and its really not good, and so I think if they go without food they might get too used to the feeling...which 'might' make it harder to get them to realise they need to eat.

I hope that makes sense!

Well today he seems to have done a U turn, although I'm thinking he'll be back to normal tomorrow.

After his 'lunch' he had his milk and nap as per, then for tea he had 1/4 of quite a large pizza (but he does love pizza ) then quite a large bowl of peaches and custard. Cos he'd done well today he got a treat of a fruity 'Club' bar He looked well tuckered by the time he went to bed lol

Also, I have swapped his juice intake for just after meals if he's eaten sufficient and he gets water before and during meals as he did have a tendency to fill up on juice so he didn't have to eat, he won't do that with water cos he's not a fan.

The one day I said to myself "this is the way its going to be done!!" and he totally turns the other way..Kids eh!!

Corned beef hash for tea tomorrow, so have got a feeling he'll be having bread and butter

Ahh Zee it's really frustrating when this happens isn't, though it sounds like you are coping brill with it all.

I remember Lottie going through a similar thing about the same age and my HV said it's a natural thing at this age. it's something to do with them exercising their independance, and she also believed it was a 'survival of the fittest' sort of thing and this is natures way of stopping them putting poisionous things in their mouths etc. Not sure how true this is.

Anyway - she eventually stopped and is now such a good little eater. Just remember not to give him lots of attention for it and plenty of praise if/when he does

xx

Hannah is normally a very good eater but we have nights when shes a total nightmare. Ive noticed its the nights she has a kids ready meal or chicken nuggets and chips that she will eat every single bit of it and want more and the nights when I cook she doesnt eat it. its so frustrating. I sometimes want to throw in the towel and let her have chicken nuggets every night because I know she will eat it but it teaches her nothing except that if you dont eat your lovely homemade dinner you will get things that you only get as a treat normally.

but yeh I am annoyed and hannahs a fab eater so I do feel for you. I try and not worry so much about the dinner as she always has two bowls of cereal, snacks and most days she eats all her lunch in nursery so if she comes home and eats no dinner I just try and keep myself calm about it especially during these times when she might be teething too

x