Parents of Preschoolers  Discussion Forum

Hey guys...I need all ur suggestions!!!

I have a 2 year toddler who is a fussy eater. The thing is he prefers eating independently. He is very picky first thing and then he never likes to be fed. He gets annoyed when we try to make him eat.



This used to bother me once up on a time...because he eats very little by himself and gets distracted easily...so food on his plate is most often wasted or played upon. Me and my DH , we tried a lot to make him eat more or tried feeding him,...nothing worked! In return the more we tried...the more fussy he became when it came to eating food. So we gave up eventually!! He does still wakes up couple of times at night for his milk. I give him the milk in his sippy cup...he falls asleep drinking out of it. Sometimes when we are really lucky he doesnt wake up at all or wakes up just once. We give him Pediasure atleast once daily . His growth charts are all fine at his Ped office ..so doc is not worried abt it.

He now eats on his own. I only give him food when he is hungry. I dont run around if he doest eat. I started serving him smaller quantities at a time and leave his favourite cartoon on. He atleast eats something now. All this works fine...as long as he is at home.

When we go to the outiside/ for parties...he doesnt eat much. Thats fine with me...I dont want to bother him ... unless he says he is hungry or points at some yummy cake or something. I do offer him food...but when he turns away .. i dont like running around him with food in my hand. Usually after he settles down and gets used to the crowd around him...he comes back and shows some sign that he is hungry and teats by himself in a small plate or bowl.

The thing is some olderly folks at these kinda parties find it strange. They insist that kids his age dont get up at nights. Even some of my friends...they just dont stop asking me why my son doesnt eat. They keep pouring me with ideas...suggestions..all the time. They keep referrring and comparing him to their kids and how better they are than my son. I seriously want to give them a straight look and want to say \" mind ur own business\" ...but i end up listening,,,,feeling frustrated and sad abt my son. Me and my DH few times ended up arguing and fighting abt this issue.

We will be visiting our home town in a couple of months and then more people there would be asking similar kinda Qs on a daily basis....how should i handle this? SS replied. Hello,

It' s great that your child wants to eat on his own. You can make it interesting by encouraging him and appreciating it.

Break the chapatti into small pieces, give him some honey or semi-solid sabzi, let him eat this on his own.

If it is rice, give him a spoon, make him sit on a high chair and let him eat...

Try not to put on the cartoon, instead let him watch you cook or be around you.

And lastly, please listen to everyone, but use your own discretion while making choices. How does the family know that your child gets up in the night? We parents need to be very careful how we present our children to our family. If we always seem worried, the family will try to give lots of advice... which might ultimately harass you more.

Hope this helps.
SS kamal replied. dear mom

i think first of all u should feel positive and confident that there is nothing wrong with ur child , i also think ur child is absolutely ok if he wants to eat himsef and only when he is hungry.

u just give him heathy finger foods , which he can eat easiy while roaming around also. and before sleeping give him more solids and ur jolb is over , u can be more reaxed mom that he himself will ask for food whenever he is hungry. so just relax. slowly he will automatically stop wake up in night. give him fingure foods in small quantity but regular intervals, so that before sleeping his tummy is full.

after that u have no need to listen or bother about others suggestion or comments . u urself can give them suggestion that u people also should teach u r kids to eat themselves in early age and should learn to tell there parents that they r hungry.

just feel confident of urself and about ur kid, that there is nothing wrong and it is more appropriate.

take care
kamal