DS wont eat!!!!!!

[clair77]

hi im new to mumsnet and just wanted some friendly advice, my ds is 18 months old and a real funny eater. some days eats fine will eat toast and cerial, sandwich and tea but then he can go 2 days sometimes without really eating anything. He wont have any breakfast might eat a biscuit through out the day or some crisps, or maybe even half an apple but that will be it???

Tried to sit down with him and eat and got mum and mother in law to do the same but some days just wont have any of it, then this then causes him to be up all night?????

Please help????

This is normal. There was a thread on this recently, let me try to dig it up.

Here . Not exactly the same as your situation (no night waking), but not that much different.

I wouldn't give any food or milk in the night (you probably aren't, anyway). And try to ignore the night waking as much as possible, so he realises it's not worth trying to get up then.

thanks just so glad to know that im not doing anything wrong? Will try and just go with what he wants to eat as ohter people have saud im sure he wont starve??? He does however, still have bottles do you think that i should try and cut these out???

It depends - bottles of what? And how much does he have each day?

He should be having about a pint of cow's milk per day (or equivalent in yogurt, milk, whatever) at this age. They do sometimes just drink milk and stop eating, I know my DS1 sometimes did that.

the average amount of food a 2 year old will eat is around 11 tablespoons a day .. this is averaged out over a couple of weeks .. all food counts .. so count snacks too

It is normal for a child of this age to only eat one proper meal (well what we would consider proper) over 48 hours

try not to worry

this sucks. it drives me insane. you're not alone by far. i think the majority of 2 yr olds are like this. it's really annoying and stressful but be patient, if he's only 18mth old, he's no where near the end of it!

Great another 6 months of this?????

Really glad to hear though its normal he still has probably about 3 bottles a day will try and start to cut that down I think???

6mths?? and the rest.

You only have another 6 months (several years, really) of battles if you bother battling. Offer food, he eats it, he doesn't, whatever. He won't starve.

Hi, reckon you're right about cutting down the bottles. The latest advise from HVs is no bottle after 12 months (bad for speech development/teeth etc) but must admit that Tilly had a bedtime bottle til recently (she is 21 months). However she went from bottle to mug with no problems. I do make sure that she has a yoghurt and some cheese each day too and she now asks for milk as a drink which is good. The problem with bottles is that they drink so much and then aren't interested in food - she is a pathetic eater but I've given up worrying and make sure she gets baked beans which she loves every few days and bananas! She has tons of energy and isn't sick so she must be getting enough.

All my children have been a bit like this..eat me out of house and home one day then nibble the next!
My first is now a strapping 6 ft 15 year old so I wouldnt worry!!