How should i approach this?

[Beauregard]

Following my thread here
Today i ended up in floods of tears and having to see my eldest dd's teacher.
She is picking at her food,refusing to eat other foods,several mornings has announced that she doesnt want breakfast"just an apple"
She went to a party on sat and picked at her meal and the cake she was given she refused to eat.She has also taken to saying she is cold and covering up with cardigans.
I know my dd and i know something is very wrong .I have gently asked and she wont tell me.My dd has always enjoyed food and is usually always hungry and for her to be acting like this is frightening

Thanks

pfnm, are you feeling any wiser after sleeping on it?

Hi
Dd was up again last night,cant remember if i mentioned she has been very tired and waking in the night.This morning i ended up back at the school as she came and told me that some children in her class had been picking on herThe children have been reprimanded by the school.There are a couple of teachers or Ta's looking out for her.Dd was happier when she got home today and has eaten better but we are still on tenderhooks tbh and watching her like a hawk.Whether the school children and the food issue are connected i really dont know now.
She made me a card while i was out at work and she had drawn a picture of herself with a big smile and a picture of me and it read "to mommy i love you very very very much love xxxxx"

She gave me a piece of paper this morning with this written on "I hate xxx primary school ""no more school for me""School bad"

Oh dear. Did you get in touch with the school nurse? It sounds like she needs alot of support at the moment. Keep in touch with the school as much as you can, if she's having a hard time she might not want to tell you about it and she may let it fester. Could she write a diary about how she's feeling/school? It may help her to let it all out.

PFNM -I really feel for what you're going through at the moment.

It could be that it has been triggered by your DD being upset by some girls, some issue at school.

Last year my DD (8 at the time) had us really worried with her lack of food in-take. Shes such a skinny little thing anyway that she really couldn't afford to be not eating. She was complaining of tummy aches, crying at lunchtime at school (and as a result was not eating her lunch).

I went in to talk to her teacher and head (and spoke to the lunchtime supervisors too after school as they are parents) -they were all very supportive and helpful, not that they could do anything (ie. nobody can make a child eat) but kept an eye on her,listened to my concerns, gave her lots of positives etc.

We never really got to the bottom of it as DD always did the "shrug"/ "don't know" response to any questions but it passed in time. My gut feeling is that it was to do with my Dad who had died not long beforehand ( a week after being diagnosed with cancer of the liver)

PS- I tried so hard not to make a big thing of her lack of eating at home but it is so difficult I know.

Like others have suggested I did "hide" extra calories in things she would eat, or make things that I knew she would eat (eg. homemade rice pudding with cream in) without making a big thing out of it.

Thanks for the replies
I think the diary is a good idea fluffybunny.
I havent contacted the school nurse yet as i am just waiting to see if it improves in next few days.
She has eaten better today but not the norm for her iykwim.