Parents of Preschoolers  Discussion Forum

Hi ! my son is 2 yrs 2mths. He just does not chew and swallows food directly. I've stopped giving him mashed khichdi and give him rice and dal, but he doesn't even chew that. Banana also has to be mashed properly or he chokes / pretends to choke. He still prefers cerelac / sooji and doesn't eat bread / roti. What should I do ? Meena replied. Hi Anju,
My 2.5 year old son exactly like urs.. I saw ur msg posted in 2006. Can u let me know how ur son now. How u changed ur son's eating habits. How u made him to eat solids. For dosa and idly itself he is not willing to eat. Fruits,veggies and rice I am smashing it otherwise he is not eating. Plz help
Ankit replied. Hi,
I have the same problem described by Anju.
He just does not chew and swallows food directly.
I am giving him mashed Roti but he newer chew any food.
Please help.

Regards,
Ankit
fathima replied. i have my 2 yr old son doing the same i think u can advice me now what are u doing now and how is ur child now

eargerly waiting for ur reply. ZaRa replied. hi anju,
i hav the same problem as u hav posted here as my son is also 2 yrs 2mths now,He just does not chew and swallows food directly.and like mashed food always....not even biscuits....
i understand ur worry as m myself going thoriugh it, i would b very happy to know how to how u thought him to chew as it may help me also and that would b very kind of u to tell me.... and help me out in this... Vaishali replied. Hi,

My son is 3.5 yrs old now and he did not chew until he was 2.5 yrs. His daycare teacher helped me in this regard. She told rest of the kids around him to show him how they chew and everyone used to show him when they ate and he started it like a game but learnt it very fast from other kids. I was doing the same thing for a very long time but he never picked it from me or other elders in family. I guess kids learn fast from other kids, if u have kids around, just take their help.

all the best Srinithi replied. Hi There,

I would suggest you to try giving fried stuffs like potato chips, wafers, Aloo kachodi etc. Then slowly introduce them to other items like rice, rotis or toasts with jam and so on as these are considered nutritious. Then slowly start giving the food of your choice. I am sure this will work.

Regarding cerelac or ceremeal, my experience is that these are tinned food and might increase the health probs not at present but maybe during adolescent age. To my knowledge I have seen kids becoming obese during these ages. Aruna replied. Yes. I am working in Blore. Hence I cant do much ....
What abt you, where are u from?
Keep me posted abt the progress.
Aruna replied. I wonder why u give him dal rice again and again? Why dont u try different things like egg, greens veggies, bolied mashed potato, mashed carrot etc...etc.. He doent chew, that doent mean that he cant digest ...right. U can even soak roti in milk and paste it and give him... That wd be good.
Initially make it paste and later on soak it and give him.
Problem with my son is he will break the heardset possible things also with his teath (like cars etc...) and spits the biscuts out :)
But I assure u that this will go once u send him to school and they see other kids.
I havent started with school as yet.. What about u? Aruna replied. I wonder why u give him dal rice again and again? Why dont u try different things like egg, greens veggies, bolied mashed potato, mashed carrot etc...etc.. He doent chew, that doent mean that he cant digest ...right. U can even soak roti in milk and paste it and give him... That wd be good.
Initially make it paste and later on soak it and give him.
Problem with my son is he will break the heardset possible things also with his teath (like cars etc...) and spits the biscuts out :)
But I assure u that this will go once u send him to school and they see other kids.
I havent started with school as yet.. What about u? Aruna replied. I wonder why u give him dal rice again and again? Why dont u try different things like egg, greens veggies, bolied mashed potato, mashed carrot etc...etc.. He doent chew, that doent mean that he cant digest ...right. U can even soak roti in milk and paste it and give him... That wd be good.
Initially make it paste and later on soak it and give him.
Problem with my son is he will break the heardset possible things also with his teath (like cars etc...) and spits the biscuts out :)
But I assure u that this will go once u send him to school and they see other kids.
I havent started with school as yet.. What about u? Aruna replied. Hi Anju,
When I read your post it felt like I am reading my own problem. My son is also EXACTLY the same like u, aincluding age.
He also puts things in mouth and spits out. Doent chew, just swallows...etc..etc..
But otherwise he is 200% ok child and was always carried excellent height and weight.
This whole thing started becoz, I work and my MIL used to find it easy to feed him pasted stuff. He got used to it.
What I can suggest u is:
1. Dont just give him rice dal, give him every thing u eat by mashing it in a food processer. That way, atleast u r assured that he doent loose out on vital foods.
2. Stop Cerilac and start giving him Cerimeal (Nestale product for kids above 2 years)
3. Keep giving him stuffs like wafers, Kurkure etc...let him spit ..
One last word of advise is that, there are many ki8ds who start like this and become 'all fine' in due course of time.. so dont worry.
Please let me also know, if u try some thing good and if it works..
Aruna. Aruna replied. Hi Anju,
When I read your post it felt like I am reading my own problem. My son is also EXACTLY the same like u, aincluding age.
He also puts things in mouth and spits out. Doent chew, just swallows...etc..etc..
But otherwise he is 200% ok child and was always carried excellent height and weight.
This whole thing started becoz, I work and my MIL used to find it easy to feed him pasted stuff. He got used to it.
What I can suggest u is:
1. Dont just give him rice dal, give him every thing u eat by mashing it in a food processer. That way, atleast u r assured that he doent loose out on vital foods.
2. Stop Cerilac and start giving him Cerimeal (Nestale product for kids above 2 years)
3. Keep giving him stuffs like wafers, Kurkure etc...let him spit ..
One last word of advise is that, there are many ki8ds who start like this and become 'all fine' in due course of time.. so dont worry.
Please let me also know, if u try some thing good and if it works..
Aruna. kate replied. I have exactly the same age son (2 yrs and 2 months)He is not as bad as yours but he does have that problem too little bit.
In general he is ok with all mushy mashed foods but does not want to chew anything.Whatever I give him he likes to just swallow it.What I sometimes do is make the bread or the dosa look interesting by putting jam etc., on it and letting him take and eat by himself (ofcourse it would look very messy but let him eat by himselves) that way sometimes he chews and eats those kinds of foods.
In general If I let him eat by himself and if he is hungry and he is interested he tries to taste the food (so chews it!)and eat it.
Try it and see.