petite preschooler doesnt want to eat. I am going mad

petite depends on parents too! How are your both physic?
Eating/ making them eat is a unsolved mystery in the world. Keep doing
What you are trying. Just make sure whenever he eats/ you feed to avoid junks & feed more
Healthy foods.
Let him play more physical activities so that he burns his calories & inputs more to get energy
Even if he drinks more fruit juices ( home made without sugar) or water it's good too

 

My problem is exactly the same as what focussed has written. My son will turn 3 in a week's time and hardly looks like 2 year old and underweight. Everyday, feeding him has become a nightmare for us. He doesn't even drink milk and even worse..doesn't drink water also. He is not crazy about junkies as well...really don't know what to do. Has a very poor immunity and keeps falling sick with cold & cough.

I need to put him in school next April..but still not sure as to how he will manage with his food habits and his small structure...Sometimes, I get fed up and just let him off if he doesn't eat...but noticed that he can stay without food or liquid one full day also!!!

Experienced ILs..pls guide.

 

Even my son does not like milk but I make sure he somehow drinks at least one cup daily. I literally
Feed milk with spoon. I feel bad but that's how he drinks or else he won't even taste it. I keep telling rhymes or give something to play.. Distract him & then feed milk in spoon... Everyday my 30 minutes have reserved for his milk time.

 

Hi all
Even I'm sailing in same boat my 4yr DD is super active n talkative but when it comes to eating part she suddenly start tantrums .In front of someone else she pretent as she is being forced for food and starts making faces .
I have tried all possible motherly weapons lik running some far.cartoon or something else but now she knows that its all trap n my plan failed every time.

I guess it'll every mother goes through this.....

Well I want to know dat my Dd likes paper n ask me everyday for it but not any other veggies...
How to make her understand that other veggies are also imp ..

 

Hi all,

if the reason for being petite is not genetic and is due to not eating enough....

Find out the reason why your child is not eating. There may be many reasons behind the eating habits....one of which is reflux. It is so under diagnosed these days. Google for reflux symptoms for toddlers or preschoolers and see if any of the symptoms including no weight gain ring a bell.

Unless reflux is resolved through medicines, kids will not want to eat. and even when reflux is resolved, it will be a while before they trust food again. when refluxing kids eat, the food that is in the stomach mixes with stomach acid and refluxes back into the food pipe causing a burning sensation. kids as young as 6 weeks old start to associate eating with pain and resist eating as much as they can.

another reason they dont eat, is texture aversion or too much pressure to eat. Force feeding or scolding to eat will get you no where in the long run.

Eating should be in a positive environment....keep it very playful for picky eaters.
put the food infront of them.
step1: let them tolerate the food in front of them
step 2: let them reach for it and touch it
step 3: let them smell it
step 4: playfully kiss or lick it (mama's turn to kiss it & say bye bye...now, kid's turn to kiss & say bye bye)
step 5: make exaggerated eating noises like loud crunching or "bite like a lion" or put a piece on mama's tongue and show it to kiddo and say, "hi, now this piece of food is going to go bye bye" and once you swallow, show a clean tongue and say, "bye bye!"...etc etc
step 6: chew
step 7: swallow.

each time you offer sometime, praise them if they complete any one of these steps.

For short term weight gain, pediasure or other supplements will help. but should be only used short term. ask your doctor for prescription or advice on such supplements.

 

Thank you Mayamom for your advice hope it'll work for me and everyone else facing the same problem...

Alka

 

Hi
even iam facing the same problem.but as mayamom says I used pediasure,it showed me the difference.he is feading more

 

I have a 4 yr old DD whose eating habit have always been bad. I am going nuts during mealtimes, literally. She will eat 2-3 spoons then start gagging, then if I say drink water, swallow, she will start crying. Eventually end up throwing up sometimes. I am so tired of this. Tried most foods. Nothing really works. She doesnt like junk food either, so no cake, chocolate, icecream. She always looks smaller than all other kids her age. She's active, but gets tired very soon, obviously not enough food. She doesnt eat anything for b'fast and lunch at school and at home, dinner time is a painful time for all of us. Me and DH all dread the mealtimes bcoz of my DD's tantrums.

Mayamom, liked your suggestions. Will try to be more patient and be positive.