I know it's been done before but ds barely eats and it's driving me nuts...............

[Northerner]

He's 23 months and most days he eats practically nothing, where he gets his energy from I just do not know. Yesterday he ate this:

about 6 dry cheerios
4 pieces of chicken
1 slice of bread
apple
mouth full of banana

I know I shouldn't get wound up but every meal time is becoming a battle, he only has to see his food being dished up and he runs away screaming 'no tea mummy no tea' He never eats what dh and I are eating but will have chicken or cheese and bread. Am I doing wrong giving him an alternative? I am worried but dh is worse and keeps saying we should take him to the doctors as there is ovbiously something wrong.

Just wanted to say that there is light at the end of the tunnel ... I have had a really hard time feeding my 2.7 year old really since he was about 8 months. It took him ages to eat lumps and he has been a fussy little blighter ever since! We have had meals in front of the TV, meals in the dining room with me reading stories etc, you name it, we've tried it. I've tried getting angry, being calm etc all really to no avail. It is something that to be honest had completely overtaken my life (I'm not exaggerating) to the point where when I saw kids out with their parents eating sandwiches etc I would just want to cry. It really affected my feelings about my son.

However, I have gradually tried to widen my son's repetoire and been persistent. And this week has been a real turning point. Drum roll please - he has eaten cheese sandwiches and today has polished off a roast dinner. With ketchup of course but who cares, it's probably healthier than gravy!

I know it's a bit sad to be so excited about something that to 'normal' mums must seem pretty trivial but I just wanted to share it with you all and to say to those who understand where I'm coming from that either it will get better or it will get to a point where it won't bother you so much.

I have to say that at parties etc he rarely eats anything (unless it has sugar in of course) but really there is too much fun to be had doing other things and I can live with that!

sar7, I'm in a v. similar situation with dd, 17 months. My 2 friends with same aged kids are way ahead with what they'll eat. Me and dp are v. healthy eaters and offer dd all sorts of wonderful things to try but she lives off potato waffles, tiny bits of cheese, tiny drinks of milk and the odd bit of pasta. It really is bad. She's quite slim, on the 25th percentile but seems so well in every other way I just keep hoping that it will all work out ok.

Evita, when my son was about 10 months and I was really depressed about the way things were going weaning-wise, I remember my (very helpful) hv saying to me that weaning/eating is only one aspect of development and you have to remember all of the other things that are going well, and not just focus on the one thing that isn't. I've always remembered that. My boy is on about the 25th percentile too, well he was back in the days when I used to get him weighed. When he goes through phases of eating a lot he still doesn't seem to put on weight so I've decided that he must just have an efficient metabolism and be naturally very slight. I wish I could say he takes after me!

sar7, yes I focus on all the things she does well too. She's a lively little soul and bright and fun. I go through phases now of extreme patience with her eating, then sometimes I get v. anxious and think she can't really survive on the little she eats and it's nutrition value. I always offer her healthy stuff but she examines it and throws it on the floor. Or she tries to ram it in my mouth!