12mth old refusing to eat meals

[Chloe55]

My ds has just gone 1yr. He has always been a really good eater, he is also really active and has been from about 6mth. His weight gain has always been constant and average.

These past couple of months he hasn't eaten as well, e.g. he'd have a good breakfast - cereal and toast, he would probably have about 1/2 portion of lunch and then the same at tea. He still has 2 x 8oz milk but sometimes these are a struggle to get down him.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago he got a really bad cold and cough and went right off his food. I put this down to possibly a sore throat and generally feeling crappy so didn't worry too much and just made sure he got plenty of fluids. Since then getting him to eat is a real chore. All he has had since Friday is 1/2 bowl weetabix, 3 bananas, an orange, some grapes, carrots and milk. He is not poorly - he is laughing and playing about. He goes to nursery twice a week and his reports always suggest he has eaten well I try to eat meals with him but often it is difficult because I work 3 days a week and don't get lunch until 3pm on those days. Also, dh doesn't get in until 7pm on an evening so that's when dh and I have tea - ds is in bed at 6pm.

He is also now only in 9-12mth clothes and they are on the large side.

I rarely take him to the HV because I don't rate mine much and my sil is a HV so I used to get him weighed and checked out with her. However, she is having marital problems so I haven't mentioned anything to her.

Do kids just go through phases like this, should I just keep encouraging him to eat and not push it or should I bare the HV and make an appointment?

[Chloe55]

Bump

[gingermonkey]

Hi Chloe. How are you? DS is being pretty similar. I spoke to Hanlou007 (coz she was a nanny for 15 years) and she says it's really normal. Just decide what you are going to feed him for the day and give him that. If he doesn't want a main course, leave it for a bit before you take it away but still give him his pudding/fruit. Also try feeding his toys and get him to feed you too. It sometimes helps me with DS if we all eat his tea with him! Don't give him milk until after he has eaten, don't give juice only water (juice and milk are fillers so he won't want to eat as much). Just keep calm and praise him when he eats as well as when he doesn't. If he doesn't eat much praise him for what he did eat. You know, well done for eating that.....whatever.
And remember, all of us adults are different shapes and sizes so our kids are going to be. My DD was a terrible eater but was always in the 90s on the growth chart, DS (usually) eats much better but he's exactly average. I can eat like a horse but I lose weight like you wouldn't believe. MIL eats bugger all and is the size of a house! He'll come round in his own time

[Chloe55]

Thanks Gingermonkey, It's kinda soul destroying when you cook up meals, slaving over teh stove and they blankly refuse it isn't it?!

I'll just keep offering then, I'll try the teddy feeding trick too - ducky goes everywhere with him so if ducky will eat it then it might encourage him.

Thanks for the advise, might see you on a meet-up soon.

[gingermonkey]

It is soul destroying, I now cook up a load of stuff and pop it in the freezer to be quickly defrosted when I need it. Or he eats what we have had the previous day (because we usually don't eat at the same time). Ducky may get a mucky beak but I'm sure he'll enjoy feeding him!

[kimi]

Sorry for hijack (Hi Gm kimi waves)

[DizzyBint]

please don't worry about what size clothes he's in. it varies from shop to shop anyway. dd can be anything from 6 months to 2 years depending what shop i buy from.

[gingermonkey]

Hi Kimi - haven't seen you for a bit, where have you been hiding?

Chloe55, when you (eventually) get to meet DD she is 7 and in age 9-10 clothes and I'm pretty sure you'd agree she's not a fatty. She had a swimming gala yesterday at school and she didn't stand out as being giant! Ones of her friends is tiny and her twin brother even smaller. I'd be surprised if he was out of age 5 clothes and he's almost 8. DS just ate most of his lunch after denying him any snacks this morning and only giving him water to drink. He had to feed me too though!

[kimi]

I 'm about, lifes mad though. (see am i unreasonable to want to smack someone.)

[Chloe55]

I think it's probably because I am used to him being a stocky lad - he was 9lb 10oz at birth and always been on the larger sisze of his age bracket (not fat) I guess I should stop comparing, he looks healthy enough and is not underweight.

We have just had lunch together - I cooked up some veg and put it on his tray so he could tuck in himself, gave him some toast and I already had a chicken dinner prepared. He had about 2 runnerbeans and 4 mouthfuls of chicken dinner. Then he had a complete tantrum, waved his hands over his tray and sent food flying all over the kitchen I didn't say anything, just cleaned it up. A few minutes later me and ducky sat down and had a yoghurt together (I hope no neighbours were watching ) I offered some to ds and he whacked the spoon out of my hand

Oh well, he goes to nursery tomorrow so I'll see how he gets on there, I'm hoping being with the other kids he will start to eat properly again.

[gingermonkey]

Sounds like he is being a normal 1 year old! He might eat better when he sees the other kids eating. DS would never eat apple til Hanlou's dd force fed him it, now he loves it - peer pressure can be a wonderful thing (even at this age).I'm sure ducky enjoyed the yoghurt