My 19 month old DS suddenly VERY fussy eater

[MamaG]

He has always eaten loads and whatever you put in front of him, but for the past week he has been refusing almost everything, even his favourite foods. DH was panicking and I said not to worry, just give him stuff we know he will always eat (fruit, cheese, yoghurt) but apart from scotch pancakes, he is now refusing everything else, saying "dirty"!

I thought that as long as we didn't make a big fuss about him not eating and just tried to carry on as normal, i.e. eating with him and if he won't eat the same as us, just giving him a pile of chopped up fruit etc later, then he'd get bored...but it's been 2 weeks now and he's still at it!

Never had this problem with DD so any advice would be much appreciated.

Might it be connected with teething, I know once dd got all her teeth through at 26 mths she became a much happier eater, she lived on yoghurt and cereal and pasta for about a yr...
WE never connected it to her tething until she stopped.
Just a thought.

Apparently (I heard this on the BBC show QI so it must be true, LOL), children's perception of taste changes around 2 years - green veg suddenly taste bitter, for example. Allegedly it's an evolutionary advantage because it stops curious toddlers going off and eating poisonous berries. So it is NOT your fault or anything you've done wrong.

However, they stopped short of giving any helpful advice about how you actually get a toddler to eat. Apart from covering their food in sugar, I suppose, but I'm sure that would be inadvisable... everyone always says 'don't worry, if they were really starving they'd eat' but it's not that easy, is it?

Thanks for replies, I did wonder if it was connected with teething (he's cutting 3 molars at the mo ). He's just munching an apple at the moment and I daren't look him in the eye in case he hisses "dirty" and lobs it at the dog again!!

we also found covering everything with cheese sauce worked too, pasta cheese sauce and ummm pured anything, beef caserole, liver chicken and apricots... sweet potato
infact dd is 3 and a good eater now but I still slug liver puree in her pasta for her iron levels

If it's any comfort, ds calls food he doesn't want to eat 'dirty' too.

and molars are SODDING awful.

Does he go to nursery, grandmas or somewhere where someone might be getting a bit het up about the mess when he is eating? Just a thought.

No, he is only ever with me or DH - we both work part time and while one is at work, the other has the kids and we are all together at the weekend.

We are pathalogical about not making a fuss about messy eating and stuff so it can't be that.

I like the idea of putting cheese sauce over things, but he feeds himself using his hands (and will NOT be fed!) so that might be difficult.

I tried putting a blob of ketchup on his high chair tray with each meal and that worked for a few days, until the novelty of "dipping" wore off!

Does he help prepare things? I find that helps when DS is having a funny stage.

I don't think he's quite up to helping yet, but I have opened the fridge door/cupboad door and encouraged him to choose something - which he then dismisses. Or gives to the dog

Ds2 went through the exact same thing at around the same age - literally refused everything.

Health visitor said he looks OK, don't worry, keep offering healthy options, praise when he eats, ignore when he doesn't - luckily he is back on track now (will be two in March). Hope your ds's eating improves but I honestly think it's a phase he will get through.

Probably teeth then. You seem to have got it sussed really. How about some baby vitamins in the meantime?