Help for One Year Old Son Who Eats Very Little

My daughter does the same. She's 2 and has been in daycare since about 3 months old. When she started in the one's room she stopped eating as much dinner at home. I used to worry, but then I relaxed as long as they said she ate everything there all day. And some days she did eat dinner and eat more than me. For the most part now she eats dinner, but some days she doesn't. I think a lot has to do with how they feel. If they are tired or sick or too excited they won't really eat, but I also have talked to doctors and read things and found it really is ok if one meal is skipped as long as they ate the others. He'll be fine and still grow like a weed. :o)

Depending on how old he is. He may be going through a phase of eating habbits. First you may want to take a day and visit him for lunch at daycare. He may be eating plenty during the day and not needing much to eat later in the day. My daughter can eat a lot during the mid-day and then eat very little at night. So this may be what's happening.

As long as your son is growing well and the doctors aren't concerned, I wouldn't worry about it. You don't want your child to learn to eat just because someone said so. He's following what his body is telling him...eat when hungry, if not hungry, don't eat. If you force him to eat even when he's not hungry, he'll probably grow up to have weight issues. Kids will eat if they're hungry, if your son is saying no thanks to your food, he's probably getting enough at daycare. If they're serving him healthy food, he's probably getting the nutrition he needs. Also, his stomach is still very small. If he was eating as much as you before, that's way too much food for him anyway. I wouldn't be concerned at all...just monitor his growth. If he's growing appropriately, he's doing just fine.

Hi N.

You don't say how old your son is? If is only a toddler, and not losing weight then he is probably fine. When he is a baby in his first year is weight is suppose to triple, (an 8lb baby should weigh about 25 lb by his 1 yr) but after that he slow way down. He if kept eating at the rate he was he would be weigh 75lb by the second birthday. 5-10 lbs a year is about average till about adolesence then they will a major growing spurt again. Listen to your doctor, he has had few more years of medical school, more than most people on here and I have had 3 kids and none of them have ever been under weight. Just try to give him a health diet (ask the doctor) not french fries.

L. Smith

Listen to your pediatrician/family doctor. Kids are born with the instinct to eat when they're hungry and not because a clock on the wall says it's time to eat. Also a toddlers appetite will diminish some when they're not in a growth spurt. They don't need as many calories during this time. You certainly don't want a child growing up with weight issues because his parent(s) decided he needed to eat more. If he's at an appropriate weight/height for his age, let him eat when he's hungry.

Kids this age eat when they want and I agree with your doc that he's fine. If he is healthy and eating at daycare, he will let you know if he is hungry or not. My 2 year old has days when she eats everything in site and then turns around and won't touch hardly anything on her plate. I wouldn't worry and make a big deal out of it or it could end up being a power struggle between you two later on when he's older.

my son is 16 and he has always been that way. my pediatrician told me that if he gets hungry he will eat but i was so concerned because sometimes he wouldn't eat all day. i stoped chasing him around with food and he started asking for food. though what little it was, he ate it. then he went on these food thniogs like he would only eat hot dogs for several weeks or ceral or cream of wheat or grille dcheese. as a nurse i was worried that he wasnt getting proper nutrition but he is a healthy athletic young man. he is very well versed on nutrition these days as he is a wreslter and often counsels other wrestlers on proper nutrition and weight managment. he also polices my husband and i, often throwing little comments to us such as "there are 250 calories in that soda and it has no nutritonal value". He makes every one ofhis claories count and makes sure he has so much of each reocmmended vitamin and mineral daily. i often find him scrounging around for somthing at after dinner because i didn't cook enough of what he needed for the day. he runs a lot he is also on cross country team and competes in extreme running events. i am amazed at how a 16 yr old has been able to figure out to the mile how many carbs and proteins and fluids he needs to each at what mile point during a 100 mile race. he is 5'10 and weighs 140# and has a 10% body fat. maybe he was programmed from birth to be so health concious. who knows

Hello,
I wouldn't worry too much about it as long as he's growing the way he's expected too and your pediatrician isn't concerned. You don't want to create a lifetime issue around food. My son has a condition (RTA) that is causing him not to grow -- gain weight or get taller, as quickly as he should. He is on medication but I do understand how stressful it can be when it seems they are not eating. However, I try to just go with the flow. He's two and sometimes he eats and other times he doesn't. They say that kids often eat one good meal and then kind of pick at the others. As long as whatever food you do give him it's quality food you'll be fine.

Good Luck

My 4 year old goes through this as a regular cycle. At times she eats literally every half hour, I think during her growth spurts. Normally, she will eat breakfast, lunch and a snack. Dinner, well that's a different story. She doesn't eat. Maybe a bite here or there. At first, we used to try and bribe her, force her, etc. but nothing worked. Then we realized, she's just not hungry and let it be. She is a completely healthy child and it's her way of stopping when she is full. Something I wish I could do, lol! As long as he is gaining weight at the expected rate, I'd say let him go.