16 Month Old Refuses to Eat

Well, my first question would be...when is he getting his bottle? if he is getting it before or during your meal...that is your problem, milk fills him up and he isn't hungry for the food...I did this with my first but now milk is served at the end of the meal. Another question I have is how about moving him from the highchair to the table, either take off the tray and push him up to the table or get a booster chair...he will still be strapped in but he will feel more included in what's going on at the table and besides now is the time to start teaching manners and what a better place than at the table... I think your son is trying to asert a little bit of control/independance and as hard as it is because he is your baby, start treating him like a bigger child and he will start to act like one...for example...eating at the table, let him throw away small things like paper towels or his own diapers(of course not the gross ones), let him get his diapers when you need to change him, let him put his dirty clothes and p.j.s in the hamper, let him help you take clothes out of the dryer, help put his toys away...all these things you do without thinking, by letting him help you are going to build a sense of responsibility but more over you will see the pride and joy he gets from being a big boy and helping...and I know you're thinking you asked about food and boy I got off on a tanget but, I believe they are all connected...give him more of a sense of control and all the battles seem to lessen. Goodluck!

Hi C.,
I have a similar problem with my son. He wont eat if he's had a lot to drink. Also maybe cut back on the bottle try a sippy cup instead, keep the bottle for bed and nap times only. Also try putting him "at the table with you" he may be ready to get rid of the highchair tray & eat without help. I had that problem with my little guy, once he was at the table he was happy. He eats by himself and only occationally will let you give him anything. We are still working on spoon feeding himself, but I'm told he's still little at 17 months to be using utensils,it is quite messy but we will keep at it until he's using his utensils.
Also if he likes smoothies try some yogurt or even the gogurt tubes. My son loves the gogurt, you can hold it while he eats it so that he doesn't make a mess or get too much at once. Also Try the V8 Fruit Fusion juice, my son likes them better than juicey juice and they are also 100% juice. Maybe even Try a rewards system. Like if he eats dinner he gets dessert,(ie: cookie, yogurt, jello, fruit smoothie.). Even at their age they can understand, and they don't have to get dessert every night, it can be something to keep on had for those nights when they are being fussy. I've Tried this several times with my little guy, telling him if he eats he will get dessert (calling the dessert by name)but only if he eats his dinner. I have had good luck with this approach.
Hope this helps and Good Luck

I noticed this alot but I figured I would put my two cents in also. Stop giving him two of his bottles. Only give him 3 milk bottles. Give him water the rest of the time. He will protest but once he realizes he is hungry he will eat what you make him. It will be harder on you than it is on him. You have to be the one to stand your ground. But if I were you I would cut out two of his milk bottles and replace them with table food and water. I have 4 kids and had to do this with my older 3, (now ages 7,5, and 3). Good luck!!

I agree with everyone else. He is getting too much milk. By now he should be using a sippy cup. Only fill it half way though. It sounds like he is going thru a phase. Have you tried giving him foods he can hold in his hand to eat as he walks around the house? Some kids don't like sitting in the high chairs to eat all the time. Are you feeding him table foods or baby foods? Try giving him table foods. The same thing you and your husband are eating (within reason of course). And let him feed himself. Don't feed him. One thing you can try is taking the tray off and pulling the high chair right up to the table. Don't actually put the food in front of him just put it within his reach. He may surprise you and reach out and grab it if he doesn't feel you are forcing him to eat.

The biggest thing is to cut down on the milk. And since he will take fruit smoothies, try putting a few vegetables in the smoothie. I had to do that for one of my boys. He would never eat vegetables. The sweetness of the fruit usually hides the taste of the vegetables. My neighbor actually ground up some chicken and used to put that in her kids smoothies, too. He never knew the difference! Some times you have to be pretty tricky when it comes to getting the kids to eat properly!

As long as the doctor says he's healthy, I wouldn't worry about it too much. This will pass. I have never heard of a kid that starved to death with food in front of him!

gloria...

Hi Mom,

I would offer him sweets, and things you know he will like,

ALSO REFUSE to offer him your foods, and that seems to make them more curious.

What i have done for my picky eater was leave cut up bits on a plate on a coffee table, and then walked away, and let him touch and taste them , while he was thinking it was a NO No

By offering sweets for a week or 2 you can increase his appetite, cookies, crackers, grilled cheese sandwiches,
bread and butter,Lucky charms cereal, MC Donalds,
pizza, fish sticks, with the sauces,

Stewed beef and chicken , soups and soft foods,
yougurt, ice cream, choclate, peas and pasta, ZITI

All these things are easy foods to offer him that he may enjoy.

Good luck

M

PS you should also let him feed himself, give him a spoon or kiddie Spork, and let him do it , even if he makes a mess,

this might be what he wants.

Has the doctor suggested Pediasure? I am sure it is just a phase. I would continue the same routine...sitting him in the high chair but do not push the food on him. You certainly do not want him to start rejecting the high chair as well. I would give him snacks while he plays...if you have a piece of cheese or a cracker offer him a bite. That is what I would do...and remember they have small stomachs and it doesn't take much to fill them up.

C.,

What is in his bottle? At his age I think as well that that is an awful lot of formula or milk. I guess since he does drink that much you really don't have to worry about him nutritionally, but if you want him to start eating more solids, then I would recommend getting rid of two of the bottle feedings. My daughter is the same age as your son and she nurses morning and night, drinks water during the day and eats three meals and two snacks a day on average. Just to give you a comparison.

Hi C.,
I agree with Donna that his bottles are excessive. At his age my kids were drinking about 16oz of formula a day in two bottles of 8oz each - one given before naptime and one given before bedtime. All other drinks were water and a spoonful or two of fruit juice for flavoring.
I agree that you should ask your doc just to make sure there's no health concerns. Stuff like reflux, gas problems, canker sores, etc.
Food can be a wonderful thing of power for a toddler. I know because I've been there with my two. Offer a choice -would you like grilled cheese or pizza for lunch today? Let him help you prepare it - push the start button on the toaster, microwave, oven, etc. and when he doesn't eat it, have absolutely no reaction. Do not give extra milk. Only water between meals. Try different textures, mashed, pureed, chunky, food cut into sticks, food cut into shapes. Try to figure out what he will eat. My son exists at age 2 3/4 mostly on pasta, carrots, rice, tacos with only cheese in them, watermelon, apples, tofu, cheese. Just recently he tried some new foods to discover he likes spinach. when you see what he will eat, try to serve only those foods for a few days. He should get hungry and begin to eat after doing this for a few days. Especially if he sees it doesn't bother you at all! Serve it with a smile and take it away with a smile. You may also wish to offer him more choices in everyday life as this can help if he is looking for more control. Ideas might be to let him pick his clothes, which book to read first, what store to go to first, to sit in the stroller or hold your hand. Good luck.

This sounds like my son except that he was 19 lbs for 4 months (10 mo - 14) and we had to take him to a specialist. It's good to hear your son is a good weight/size. My son is now gaining weight more rapidly - mostly due to more milk and a better variety of foods. Basically we found that tooth after tooth after tooth was one of the main problems. Also I was breastfeeding and my milk was not fatting enough. The nutrionist advised to supplement his milk - we use a tbsp of Carnation instant breakfast or formula / bottle. To improve dinner eating, we stopped giving him a bottle after 3:30 (he eats at 6:30). I keep introducing and re-introducing foods. He loved mac&cheese then hated it, now loves it - same with cheese, yogurt, pizza, etc. We resort to babyfood stage three if he won't eat anything else. We always offer whatever we're eating too. I hope that helps!

I was told, by our pediatrician, that cheese and yogurt count as part of their milk intake. For example, if your son is eating cheese and yogurt, he doesn't need that much milk. I think that 20-25 oz. of milk from a bottle is excessive and a child his age should not be having 4 or 5 bottles per day. My daughter was completely bottle free by 15 months and between 12 and 15 mos was only getting 1 bottle before bed time. When she first started using a sippy cup, she was getting a lot less milk, but started eating more, then it evened out so she was getting enough milk/dairy from a sippy cup or the food she was eating.
Just be consistent and start to get rid of the bottles...that worked for us.

Good Luck!

have u spoken to his doctor? a month seems a little long to go without solids....is he in daycare? if so does he eat there? at 16 mos old, a bottle 4-5 times a day is a bit much..he might be full of milk. i would call the doctor ASAP. has he had regular bowel movements? i know that when my son gets constipated he will not eat. for 2weeks once all he wanted was liquids. u did right by giving him the fruit to offset the milk, but there is something going on. he may be teething. like i said b4. don't wait any longer. call the doc.

I agree that the bottle (whatever is inside) is curbing his appetite. Give him a sippy cup of milk with his meals.

If weight gain stops or slows you need to take him to his pediatrician.

My best to you.
A.