How to get 12yo with covid to eat?

[SpookyScarySkeletons]

So despite us thinking we had got through covid totally uninfected littlest DD (12) tested positive on Saturday (5 days before her vaccine was due!!).

She seemed ok at first, just headache and tired but from Saturday she has barely eaten, she looks absolutely washed out. We have fully stocked fridge, freezer and cupboards so endless choices but she doesn't want anything. Yesterday she ate 2 fishfingers and an ice pop. She won't even have tomato soup which is one of her favourites.

Any ideas on how I can encourage her to eat something? I'm getting quite worried now.

I wouldn't worry too much over a few days of not eating as long as she is having fluids.

Can she taste/small? If not, then food is not going to be particularly attractive.

As long as she’s drinking a normal amount don’t force her to eat if she doesn’t want to. It’s only 2 days. Not drinking or peeing then contact your GP.

Yes she can still taste and smell. I only know this because one of the cats rather delightfully passed wind whilst laid on her knee yesterday!!!

She's not drinking enough at all but I can keep getting her to have ice pops as she does like them.

I even offered her a Starbucks delivery yesterday and she turned it down.

I have barely eaten for 2 week - I've lost 7kgs

It's been awful - nothing was right at all

Will she drink a smoothie if you make one?

Would she have a hot chocolate made with full fat milk or a milkshake?

Ice pops are good, would some sort of special drink she’s not normally allowed (fizzy, or exotic juice, or bubble tea) tempt her? Or more of a thin, consommé type soup?

I wouldn’t worry about food (unless she had a medical condition that means this is dangerous for her), but I would cajole, bribe etc getting liquids in to her.

Hot Ribena might work? And plain water was all I wanted.

@AnUnlikelyCombination

Ice pops are good, would some sort of special drink she’s not normally allowed (fizzy, or exotic juice, or bubble tea) tempt her? Or more of a thin, consommé type soup?

I wouldn’t worry about food (unless she had a medical condition that means this is dangerous for her), but I would cajole, bribe etc getting liquids in to her.

I tried the special drinks thing yesterday as she is allowed a frappucino (no caffeine) as an occasional treat but she wasn't interested. I've just offered to do a homemade carbonara (her all time favourite meal) and still not getting anywhere.

Will definitely try the hot chocolate.

Poor thing started TOTM yesterday too so she's struggle with cramps on top of covid.

She has a bowel condition and gets constipated very quickly so I do really need to push the fluids. Might just offer her £1 for every glass of water she drinks 😂

Do you have a liquidiser? An ice-cream and milk smoothie with their favourite treat added (Oreos in my DC's case, but berries, Maltesers, white chocolate etc will work) is always acceptable to my DC when they're ill. It contains about 10 million calories and one sip puts an inch on my waist.

On the water thing what can work is giving a small glass to drain in one gulp followed by a small glass to sip when they want. It's less daunting than a big water bottle.

Yes and that sounds gorgeous! She would love that.

You've just reminded me that we also have a slushie machine in the garage. That's got to be worth a try too.

With her drinks you could put some vitamin drops in just to keep her nutrition up.

@SpookyScarySkeletons

So despite us thinking we had got through covid totally uninfected littlest DD (12) tested positive on Saturday (5 days before her vaccine was due!!).

She seemed ok at first, just headache and tired but from Saturday she has barely eaten, she looks absolutely washed out. We have fully stocked fridge, freezer and cupboards so endless choices but she doesn't want anything. Yesterday she ate 2 fishfingers and an ice pop. She won't even have tomato soup which is one of her favourites.

Any ideas on how I can encourage her to eat something? I'm getting quite worried now.

DN found sweet food easier to eat. Frosted cupcakes, proper icecream, those little krispy kreme donuts

No need to push foods. Liquids- yes, and you’ve got great ideas for that already.

I wouldn't go for actual meals - just little snacks every now and then just left with her to eat if she fancies.

-a slice of toast and honey/jam/marmite cut into little triangles
-a piece of (unusual, exotic) fruit chopped/peeled to make it easy and tempting to eat
-a packet of crisps/popcorn
-a few of her favourite biscuits/small cake
-a small bowl of sorbet
-scrambled egg

My 17 year old had it and ate literally nothing for first week and very little for second week despite me trying everything and being quite worried about how long it was going on. She said she just felt nauseous and absolutely didn’t want food. She is fine now and normal teenage eating/snacking/grazing has resumed!

I ate virtually nothing for two weeks, lost 12lb. It would really have made me feel worse if someone had constantly urged me to eat.
Just keep the fluids up and maybe include some salty / savoury ones.

We are in the same boat. I've literally just spoke to the GP about my 14 year old DD. He said not to worry too much and offer little and often. He suggested a slice of toast with jam a yogurt and said that fluid intake is more important so I have been giving her dissolvable paracetamol in a pint of juice and she is drinking that as it's the only thing that gives her any relief. The GP also said if her headache does not subside or there is no relief with pain killers she needs to go to A&E for a brain scan as children have been getting blood clots he said this is very rare though.

This is an awful virus and we have been told repeatedly that it doesn't affect children in the same way as adults. My DD has never been this poorly in her life.

So I'm currently caring for 2 children with covid whilst trying to avoid catching it. It's not easy.

Good luck OP and try not to worry.

Looks like you've already tried what my 12 yr old survived on - Tomato soup.
Boiled sweets were the other thing he ate (along with fast melt calpol).
He really didnt eat very much for a week - glass of milk for breakfast, 1/3 tin soup lunch, couple of forkfulls of dinner. Boiled sweets til we ran out of them (whole household isolation at that point).

Don’t hassle her to eat. As long as she’s taking fluids the food can wait until she’s hungry. Slushies sound great!

Thanks all. She had a hotdog earlier and then about three mouthfuls of carbonara.

Got a good litre of water down her though.

Well done OP. And absolutely no shame in paying her. My DS is robucks rich now. Something I never thought I would willingly buy!!

We are both positive now too :(

Could this be PANDAS?