WON'T EAT ANYMORE!

[MollyMooMin]

Myy DD is 16 months and has always eaten such a healthy diet. She had a virus a while ago and understandably went off her food. But, now she's better she won't eat anything other than crisps. I'll cook for her and she pushes good food away, but if she sees me eating crisps or a biscuit, she wants it! I don't think her appetite has gone anymore, I think she just wants to play up so she can be given crap... What do I do?

Anyone experienced this?

The answer is to stop eating crap in front of her. i know I wouldn't settle for lentils if someone was eating chips in front of me.

Ds has bad eating habits and there are several ways to tackle it. The ones I use are based on removing stress from meal times. Also using set meal and snack times and sticking to them - no food outside of this. No barginning, trying to convince them to eat etc - just leave them with the food for 20 minutes, if they haven't bothered eating it just let them see you chuck it in the bin and they get nothing else till the next meal/snack time. Don't let her see you eating the food she wants or let her see it in the house. Give her foods you know she used to eat, even if you have to revert a stage. YOu need to be strict and not give in.

If her appetite has dropped - iron supplements (in kiddy multivitamins) can help - as low iron levels cause a drop in appetite (this is what HV told me with mine).

Remove any attention from not eating. Completely ignore her when she makes a fuss. Food is left with her (with you sat at the table), but don't make eye contact or talk to her unless she is eating what you want. TIme limit up and food is removed AND THAT IS IT - nothing else.

HTH

Thanks katiebl, they sound good tips. Will see what happens tomorrow....!

dont give her any crap

give her what YOU want HER to eat! she'll soon get the message

Don't eat crisps and things in front of her. I love all that stuff but tuck myself away in the corner of the kitchen so ds can't see me eating it or else he goes mad until I give him some. Try and let her see you eating healthy stuff - hard I know

Also try not to stress if she won't eat, ds goes through stages with his eating some days loads and others hardly anything - very annoying if I have cooked him something special. Advice from katiebl is good too about just moving the food away if she has not touched it and not making a fuss.