To ask what I do now with a 2 year old who is driving me to the edge (refusing to drink)

[Totality22]

Am sat here in tears but my toddler has all but defeated me with his refusal to drink barely anything.

He has been given the OK by the GP - IE there is no medical reason why he is not drinking.

He is not yet dehydrated but that is what will happen and then we'll have to go to A&E.

It's been over 24 hours now since he began refusing his drinks and in that time we've tried everything we can think of... different cups, different drinks, bribery, plain old fashioned begging, leaving him to his own devices with a drink to hand, rewards, reasoning.

I have been through any reasons for him not wanting to drink...

Nothing is working, nothing is getting through to him and I am terrified he is going to end up in hospital on a drip.

I have a 7 week old baby, I cannot cope with this refusal to do something so basic and so imperative to his health.

It's like he is punishing me? Can a 28 month old really have the mental ability to think that way.

I feel ready to scream!

Our 2 year old always wants what I'm drinking (and wants some of my food too because it's mama's).I get a glass of water to drink and she drinks it (even when refusing her own drink/cup) because it's mama's water. Once your ds is having plenty of wet nappies, it indicates he's getting enough fluids. Has he got a temp? I'd call your gp first if you're concerned before going to A&E.

I would actually take him to the doctor and get advice about the constipation and the movicol, it may have something to do with it, he might be avoiding fluid because it gets his blockage moving and that might be worrying him.

Are you certain it's not the movicol taste that's put him off? DS1 had constipation and after a sip of movicol he point blank refused any more. We ended up having to syringe it in, which he fought like crazy and would spit it all over. We ended up going back to lactulose, but quite high doses and that sorted him out fine. He did also start drinking again, once he realised we weren't making a big deal out of it, and there was no more movicol involved.

I hate to post links to the Dark Side but you might find this interesting

www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/children-parenting-190/child-health-safety-first-aid-62/578461-lactulose-vs-movicol-all.html

I have been through this, it is bloody hard.

Don't make a big deal over it, or let him see your frustration as it could lead to further problems.

One day I left 3 types of cup (straw, free flow, none spill) dotted around the lounge filled to a certain level of water and put it to the back of my mind. Didn't watch for him drinking or encourage him at all.

By bedtime all 3 had significant amounts drunk from them. My son was obviously drinking, but in his own time with no pressure