16 Month Old Won't Eat at Daycare

I wouldn't worry. They'll eat when they need to! Seriously. I worried about this for forever with my oldest, and still am with my 4 m/o (her feeds dropped 10oz. a day), but it all works out. As long as she's having wet diapers and isn't losing weight, no reason to worry!

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My 13 month old son some days eats well, other days I (or daddy or grandma) can only get a couple bites in him. He does about the same for daddy, me, and grandma (who watches him 5 hours a day). What I have found is all you can do is offer healthy food, a variety of food, and find creative ways to serve it. I have found that he REALLY likes certain foods such as peas and crackers. So, when he is really fussing and refusing food, I put some crackers or peas on his tray, and he magically starts eating them. There is other food on his tray and then it's as though the crackers are a "stimulator" and he starts to eat the other food, too. I read in Dr. Sears book that this is an idea that he endorses. So, maybe find a food he really likes and try this idea.

According to Dr. Sears, it doesn't matter what toddlers eat each day, it's what they cumulatively eat during the week. He also says what I said before that as a mom (or care provider), your job is simply to offer healthy food in a creative manner and it's up to her to eat it. It's hard for us not to worry, though. I've tried hard to just relax on the days he refuses to eat and say "there's always tomorrow"! He also suggests allowing toddlers to graze throughout the day by having out a graze tray (ice cube tray with healthy food in it) that she can nibble on throughout the day instead of set meal times.

Unless she really starts to lose weight, I would just say it is her age.

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I have provided childcare for many years now...& one thing really jumped out at me: you pack a lunch for daycare.

Stop packing the lunch!! Let your child eat what the others are eating. It creates a bond & doesn't set boundaries. Seriously! This makes a huge difference...& to be quite honest, I'm shocked that the babysitter allows this....especially since the other kids are her own!

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You may want to find out what meal times are like at day care. I never had too much trouble with my kids when it came to eating except when there was too much else to do. Your daughter may just be picking playing over eating. Find out if meal time is a total shut down of other activities, quiet, everyone else eating, etc.

Also keep in mind that she is only 16 months old, eating, growing, behavior is changing rapidly for her. She has changed a lot in her first 16 months and is going to change even more over the next 16 years, don't expect things to remain the same for long.

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Hi there! I work part time at a Kids Day Out program in Wichita and have been taking my daughter there for 3 years with me and she still doesn't eat her lunch! I know have a one year old son who I take with me as well and he eats everything! I've just decided that it's just the kid! My great uncle, who was a GP, used to tell my Mom, that "they'll eat when they're hungry." I was just like my daughter and didn't eat a lot and was really skinny! I wouldn't worry too much about it because you'll just worry yourself sick! I know this isn't the most profound advice, but it's what I've learned in the last 3 years with my kiddos! Good luck! I hope some of this helped.

J.

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It's normal for tots to change their minds about foods, and also normal for them to go through stages of not eating hardly anything. Depends on how her body is growing that month. When she spurts again, she'll get an appetite. As long as her appointments show normal weight gain, there is nothing to worry about.

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How long has she been going to the daycare? I've had many children change their habits when starting with me and sometimes it lasts awhile. Sometimes they change even later and do one thing at home or at daycare that's different.

Today I started a couple kids for just drop in care when mom and dad go out. That sort of care is always hard because they are usually children that are staying at home with mom, haven't been in daycare and they don't know us at all. They don't have time to get to know us either because they come so seldom. At any rate, dad called a couple times this evening to check. The last time he called the little girl was sitting on the potty. He was shocked. Apparently she isn't sitting on the potty for them. Usually, I have the opposite problem. Usually, they are doing ok at home and won't potty for me.
I think they just like to keep us guessing!

S.

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When she's hungry, she'll eat. Many kids go through spurts where they are just not hungry. My kids have a great deal of, what I call, "dinner-time-ADD." They love food, but would rather play, so eating is not a priority to them. If you're concerned about nutrition, we use a really great children's supplement, and you can used Pedia-sure. Children think they're shakes!

You're doing great, Mamma!
L.

Our FPMD has said many times: "There is no medical precedent for a (healthy) child starving in the presence of good food." Offer good, balanced choices and leave the rest up to her. You're doing great.

My son (9) and my daughter (3) both have eating & non-eating days. My son's pediatrician advised me when he was young that with toddlers it matters more of what they take in w/in a week rather than a day. I agree that if they are hungry, they will eat. My children would rather play than eat, especially when away from home. Also, my children tend to be grazers, if snacks, healthy or not are available through-out the day it may be harder for them to eat at meal-times. I gave my son Pediasure when he would not eat dinner, about 2 - 3 times a week when he was 2 - 4 years old.