2.5 Yrs Old Difficult to Eat.

My son is a picky eater too and so far this is what I've learned: The child will eat if and only when he's hungry.

I always prepare well-rounded, nutritious meals and have been doing the same thing for years. At each meal I ask him how much of any given item I've prepared he wants. I give him three options: A lot, A little or A taste. There is ALWAYS something he doesn't want and so he always at least gets a "taste", which would be for example, 3 peas or maybe one or two slices of carrots. Then, he MUST actually eat the "taste".

As for the milk - I would cut it down to 2, 8oz bottles a day. It sounds like he's filling up on milk, which could be why he's not eating real food.

Try not to stress out about it too much. I'm sure you're not depriving your little guy, and for all we know he could be going through a phase. Some kids eat substantially less or more when they're going through growing spurts, or teething.

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He sounds like a completely normal 2.5 year old to me. My only suggestions would be to make sure you are offering at least one item that you know he likes at each meal, let him have seconds of whatever he wants, and make sure to offer something at snack time. He won't let himself starve. :) Try not to worry too much. Maybe offer a multivitamin to give yourself peace of mind.

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The one thing that helps me feed my three year old is to eat with her. It keeps her on task and it feels less of a chore for her; especially when we eat the same thing.

Hope this helps.

All my kids were good eaters so I dont have any personal experience, but a friend had this problem and the pediatrician told her that kids wont go hungry for long. they may be picky, but keep offering the food and when he is ready, he will eat. Just be sure to mention it to your ped at the next well child check up. Fluids are vital though. Good luck!

2.5 this is normal behavior...if you are concerned add 1/4 tsp of olive oil to all his food i.e. applesause/yogurt.. extra butter on pancakes/waffles. My child was 25% and with in 3 months was 50%.

just an idea...

He may be drinking too much milk, which could be lessening his appetite for solid foods. My eldest son was this way. Try giving him water or juice in place of some of the milk for a few days and see what happens. Best of luck!

Too much milk could be a major factor in why he isn't eating. If he's filling up on milk (or getting too much fat from milk), he won't have room for anything else. Our 3 1/2 year old was so skinny that we continued to give him whole milk up until he turned 3 (thinking that he needed the fat)...and then we switched him to 1% milk. But what we quickly learned was that he was getting too much fat from his milk and the milk was having the reverse effect than what we wanted it to. So my suggestion is to give him a half cup of 1% milk with each of his meals, and water with his snacks. Also, if he's not eating his meals, cutting his snacks down would be a good idea as well. Hopefully this will leave some room in his belly for his meals and he'll eat better for you! (Our 3 1/2 year old is now eating us out of house and home!!!) Good luck!

Sounds normal to me. This is another one of those parenting situations in which you have to try different ways to get the results you want. Firt of all I agree with the other two mothers.

My 4 yo grandson has always been a picky eater. When he's with his mother he has to have 2 bites of everything before he can get down. When he's with me I only give him a couple of inches of milk in a sipppy cup and tell him he can have more after he finishes his meal. I give him small portions of 2-3 bites and when he's done he has the rest of his milk. I sometimes help him by feeding him. He always eats more when I do that. HIs older sister liked to be fed and still does sometimes but for the most part she is a good eater. I make allowances when I know he's having tummy trouble or a cold. He's a thin child but still healthy.

You could call the dr about your concerns. If he's not gained or has lost weight since his visit 6 months ago you definately have reason for concern.

http://pediatrics.about.com/od/pickyeaters/Picky_Eaters.htm

hi,
i have a 2 almost 3 year old son as well and he goes through eating phases where he wont eat but a few bites all day. i talked to my doctor about it because he has always been in the 5% for weight, and we cant afford for him to lose any more, but she said it was a totally normal thing for kids his age to do, she also suggested that we not give him milk or juice before we feed him a meal because he would fill up on the calories in the liquid and not want to eat, that seemed to help. i guess the trick is to feed him the most power packed foods so he gets the most out of the little he eats., any ways, good luck, i hope this helps.

It is not unusual for children to be picky and slight eaters. Often Moms will need creative means to "trick" the toddler into getting a good balanced diet each day. My trick was cutting everything into bite size pieces and sticking toothpicks into them. I know the "safety issue" of this practice is also tricky, but I did not leave my child unattended while dining. After a while the child chooses to poke the food with their own toothpick, and then they are completely content to eat their meal with spoon or fork. You will be very surprised at what your child will eat this way. Vegetables, fruit, tofu, cheese, and many other nutritional foods can be administrated this way. I would cut down on milk consumption prior to a meal and offer water more. I think that excessive milk drinking causes the child's appetite to be suppressed. I am not a doctor and may be incorrect in this assumption, but teaching your child good eating habits is something that is extremely important and lightly cooked vegetables and protein rich food are essential to good health. Don't be afraid to experiment. Stay away from sugar and other empty calorie foods. Your child does not need these and will have plenty of time to experience goodies later in life.

This is a commom problem! My son goes through phases, but one great way to get him to eat was to ask him what he wants, We have had hotdogs for breakfast and eggs for dinner but at least he was eating because he got to choose. I agree with others about cutting back on the milk, but if milk is all he wants I have some suggestions. Try making smoothies with frozen fruit and some protien powder added, or adding breakfast drink (like carnation) to the milk. I have a down syndrome brother who is VERY picky and he has lived off smoothies, milk, and breakfast drink with the occational meal for almost 4 years now and he is just fine. Good Luck, Jen

He might be drinking too much milk and having too many snacks. Try just a small cup of milk with breakfast, small cup with lunch and small cup with dinner. Milk shouldn't be a meal or a snack at this age, it should accompany each meal. Taking snacks out will make him hungrier and eat more at the main meal times of the day. You shouldn't have to feed him all the time. He's not a newborn.

My daughter went through the same type of thing after we brought my son home from the hospital. I called her dr in a frantic after a week of her refusing to eat anything but mac and cheese and gerber meat sticks with a side of either apples or green beans for every meal. Her dr told me that children can control two things in their lives at this point: what they eat and where they go to the bathroom. She told me to let her eat whatever she will. As long as it is not mcdonalds or something unhealthy. This is a battle you will lose. You can't force your child to eat. He will eventually come around and start to eat different types of food again but right now I think he is showing that this is something he can control. Give him what he'll eat but continue to offer other types of food and lots of heathy snacks. He is probably showing his control because of the resent move. If you are really worried or if he is losing a lot of weight I would call his dr and get the peace of mind that everything is OK. Good luck and hope I helped. Just to let you know my daughter is now back to eating just as she did before the baby. There is hope. :-) You're doing great!

I feel your stress! It has always been a struggle with my 2 yr old daughter to eat. She is only in the 10% for weight. Her pediatrition said to give her a multi-vitamin. I give her chewable multi-vitamins and fruit/vegi vitamins that I order from my business. She loves them, they are like treats to her and looks forward to eating them. Like Jennifer mentioned, try doing the carnation breakfast and the smoothies with protien powder. My daughter loves that. It's a healthy treat and full of nutrition. I keep trying to find new ways as well to encourage her eating. I like doing the Dinners Ready meals so that I can offer her more veriety because I'm not the best cook. :0)
You are doing great. Keep up the good work!!

I have had the same challenge with my little boy....he also is 2 1/2 and it sounds like the same situation. We had been giving him 20-28 oz of milk like you are but our pediatrician advised he should only be getting about 16 oz per day....give or take a few oz......Some days he will drink 20 oz & other days only 12 -16 oz. You may want to offer small snacks in place of the milk. I found that my son would ask for milk when he started to get tired...it's kinda a comfort thing.....I ended up cutting the milk down to naptime & before bedtime only and that has seemed to make a difference. If he wanted milk at other times of the day, I would give him half milk & half water. It seemed as though he was getting all his calories he needed from the milk. I eventually got him to eat small snacks in place of his milk (which is still extremely difficult at times). He usually eats breakfast pretty good, lunch is a challenge and dinner is always a guess. I started catching myself giving him milk when he asked for it if he hadn't eaten a meal....I would use the excuse..."he is hungry and has to get something in his tummy" It's hard not to give them milk when they ask for it, but if you try to anticipate it and offer a snack such as cheese & crackers, or a piece of fruit before he asks for milk, then maybe you can cut down on the milk. Sorry for rambling on & on, but I understand your concern and know how frustrating it can be. Remember, they will eat when they are hungry, but if they are getting too much milk, then they are probably getting all the calories they need from it. Hang in there.... :o)