T.M. asks from Cheyenne, WY on November 15, 2007
4Yr Old Wont Stop Throwing up His Food!!
Hi my name is T., and i have a 4 yr old boy who thinks eating is a game and it takes him like 2 1/2 hrs just to eat half of what is put in front of him.....the strange thing is that he says his stomach hurts and then makes himself throw up at almost every meal....he has been to the doctor and they said its nothing medical! any suggestions of how to get him to eat faster and stop making himself sick? i think he learned this behavior from a cousin.(can this be a learned behavior?) hes lost weight and me and the rest of his family are worried please someone help this is a seriuos situation......any suggestions will be helpful!
Than you
T.
Featured Answers
L.B. answers from Sioux Falls on November 17, 2007
My son learned to throw up his food too. What I did was I made him go to bed, no TV, no anything and made it as boring and unfun as possible, and that behavior went away pretty quickly. I told him, if he's not feeling well, this is how it goes. As for eating faster, all I can say is by the time he gets into to Kindergarten, he will either learn to eat faster, or go hungry. My son learned that quite quickly too. I hope that helps. Good Luck!
More Answers
R.W. answers from Jackson on November 17, 2007
It's possible that he is being overwhelmed by the amount of food put in front of him. Try only serving him one thing at a time.
Find a different Dr. If your child is complaining of stomach aches and vomiting, there may indeed be something wrong. You may need to go to a GI specialist.
See an allergist. We didn't know that our now 5yr old was allergic to Cinnamon (yeah weird right?) We fed him Cinnamon toast, Cinnamon Cereal, etc He kept complaining of a stomach ache...turns out Cinnamon causes ulcers in the GI Tract if you are allergic to it.
L.B. answers from Sioux Falls on November 17, 2007
My son learned to throw up his food too. What I did was I made him go to bed, no TV, no anything and made it as boring and unfun as possible, and that behavior went away pretty quickly. I told him, if he's not feeling well, this is how it goes. As for eating faster, all I can say is by the time he gets into to Kindergarten, he will either learn to eat faster, or go hungry. My son learned that quite quickly too. I hope that helps. Good Luck!
M.W. answers from Milwaukee on November 17, 2007
Don't expect him to eat. Put it in front of him, make it clear that there's just this time (20 or 30 minutes) to eat dinner, or lunch, and if it's not eaten, he has to wait for the next meal. He'll not starve to death missing dinner a few times, and will learn. Then, when he starts whining and crying at 9 at night, saying he's starving, sit with him and be very sympathetic. Tell him you know he must be very hungry, but it's only 10 more hours to breakfast, and you know he'll make a better choice next time. Don't lecture him. It's his choice not to eat, and at 4 years old he's playing mind games with you. This is a control struggle. Don't give in. Just present food, clear it away, let him wait to the next meal. Be sympathetic, not angry, but do NOT give in and give him food. When you tell him you know he'll make better choices next time, that'll sink in. And please take a Parenting with Love and Logic course if you can find one in your area.
S.K. answers from Grand Rapids on November 17, 2007
If you're sure he is healthy and nothing is wrong, STOP making an issue of what and how long he eats.
If he only eats half of what you give him, cut it back more, but be sure there are ONLY healthy things to snack(graze on)throughout the day that he may FREELY CHOOSE HIMSELF.
If he hasn't eaten what's on his plate at a meal in 20 minutes just remove it from the table. DON'T make a VERBAL issue of it for sure don't argue about it. Make sure he has only healthy grazing foods so he get's balance. Sounds like a POWER STRUGGLE or jealousy of the baby. The more you nag the more vomit you'll recieve. Without a reaction from you and others to eat, I'll lay money on it, it wil take care of itself. As a "good" mom it will be hard, but it will work if he truly is healthy. My grandson did the same thing when he cried if he didn't want to do or be where we put him. He'd make himself throw up to pay us back. When we ignored the problem and didn't fuss verbably he stopped. It's the old saying they'll take any attention weather it's positive or negative. Is he getting enough one on one attention? Are you giving him enough choices for his tempermant? Just some things to consider.
S.P. answers from Green Bay on November 18, 2007
Did you ever consider seeing a chiropractor? We have taken our daughter since she is born and have such wonderful results. I am a tru believer in them and it doesn't hurt to have another opinion. If you are interested in who let me know?
P.S. answers from Milwaukee on November 17, 2007
Make an appointment with a pediatric gastroligist. This specialist may run some tests to determine if your son may have an acid reflux problem, which can cause stomach aches or any other stomach problems. If his stomach is hurting, he may not want to eat. Also, some kids may be lactose intolerant (they have trouble digesting milk products) if this is the case, he will get stomach pains anytime he eats/drinks milk, cheese, ice cream, etc. In any case the specialist should be able to help you figure out what is going on.
T.W. answers from Lansing on November 16, 2007
If your Dr. says it isn't medical, I suggest you take him to a behavioral theapist.
I hope all works out for you.
C.G. answers from Davenport on November 18, 2007
I'm not sure if this is medical or behavioral. I think you need to follow your instincts. Get a second opinon if you need to. I would also keep a food journal. Record the date and time, what you feed him (list all the ingridents in the food), how much he eats, what and when he complains. This will help you see if there is a pattern. If it is a food allergy, you can spot it easier this way.
Email