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Toddler nearly 2 keeps begging for milk

3 replies

TheBrightBear · 27/08/2024 20:37

My toddler is nearly two. Recently and after several illnesses (tummy bugs, heavy colds), she has stopped eating well and keeps asking for milk. She's not sick any more though. She'll hold off eating for hours and ends up melting down and crying with hunger but at this point is too upset to eat. Or will only eat yoghurt.

She never used to eat a lot during the day but would always sit up with us all and have a big dinner. Now she'll sit and pick at for eg her peas, refuse everything else and then soon be crying for milk. But won't touch her dinner. The persuasion methods we used with the older two kids don't work....she just point blank refuses.

She's drinking milk from a cup. She used to mostly just have milk in the morning and before bed....she was happy to drink it but not obsessed.

I know everyone is just going to say don't give any milk and she'll eat when she's hungry.
It's absolutely head wrecking though as we have two older children and are busy and need to go out and about and the lack of eating and then crying with hunger but refusing to eat is very difficult.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
outside1inside · 27/08/2024 20:41

I would let her have the milk and offer little bits of food throughout the day. Even just leave a plate of small things for her to pick at. Bread sticks, cheese, grapes. Anything that might temp her. Don't worry about mealtimes just try to increase her appetite for now.

Springadorable · 27/08/2024 20:45

I also wouldn't make a big deal about it. Offer dinner and milk at the same time. If she guzzles her milk first then fine, but no more after that glass. If she refuses all dinner I'd then offer something boring like toast before bed in case she's actually hungry.

WhiteJasmin · 27/08/2024 20:58

Maybe she took to the comfort of liquid during her illness? Not sure if it works but maybe you can try to tempt her back to solids with things like soups (e.g. pumpkin, potato and leek, mushroom). Almost puree like stuff. Or if she likes yoghurt maybe give her a smoothie for breakfast blending in fruits, chia seeds etc. And she can try some blueberry mini muffins or home made banana bread to ease her back into solids.

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