i'm not worried ds hasn't eaten yet today except for a biscuit - why is everyone else so bothered?

[nappyaddict]

just been to the park and met a few friends there. one of them said to ds "is that your lunch on your tshirt (it was juice) are you saving it for later? what did you have nice then?" i said "oh no it's juice he hasn't had anything to eat yet today except for a biscuit. he's been like this for a month or so. i think he's trying to gain some sort of control. he refuses to even sit at the table sometimes." cue all sorts of gasps and shocked faces and "aren't you worried?" and "have you taken him to the doctor about losing weight?" i said "if he were skinny to begin with then yes i'd probably be more worried so although he has got quite skinny around his waist and clothes that were too tight last year now are loose there, the fact that he was chunky to begin with means he's not underweight or anything so i'm not really bothered yet. he always eats at least one meal a day so he's not going to starve or anything." none of them looked too convinced and it made me feel bad that they thought i didn't give a shit or something which is definitely not true.

[mankymummy]

better to have your attitude than to force him to eat, make him miserable and give him eating disorders for life !

[frazzledbutcalm]

Think you've got the right attitude. If its a control issue etc then you reacting will give him what he wants. If he's fit and healthy then i think it's fine. He must be getting enough, and when he needs more he'll let you know.

[MrsMattie]

I think you're right not to get your knickers in a twist.

How old is your DS, by the way?

[nappyaddict]

oh if it was their child i don't think they'd ever try to force the issue but i do think they'd be more stressed and worried and would want advice from the doctor. actually thinking about it maybe they have a point? i was only thinking about the doctors for weight loss but should he be having some vitamins or something?

[nappyaddict]

he was 2 on tuesday.

[frazzledbutcalm]

At 2, dc2 lived on jam sandwiches and hot dogs. Gross i know, it lasted months then she started eating proper food. I never made an issue. I never bothered with vitamins and she was very healthy.

[MrsMattie]

Knew he would be about that age! (Honest). It's so classic to lose their appetite at this age. They either can't be bothered to sit still long enough to eat (food = boring) or they start using dinner time as a control thing ('I don't have to eat. You can't force me' [evil grin])...completely normal. If he's not losing too much weight and is otherwise healthy, you're right to chill out about it. Vitamins are a load of bollocks unless they have a real deficiency (very rare). Does he drink plenty? Keeping him hydrated is probably most important.

[ScottishMummy]

food intake best reviewed over a iwk period not on a daily basis.nope wouldn't bother me

[LittleMyDancing]

DS is two and I just yesterday posted a thread about him not eating much - sounds like it's just normal at this age!

I did read somewhere that a 2 yo has half the appetite of a 1 yo, because their weight gain has to slow down (if they carried on gaining like they do in their first year, they'd be a blimp!)

Don't listen to shocked faces, you know your child, you'd know if he was in trouble.

[nappyaddict]

the other thing is should i let him "starve" all day or let him have a little bit of what i know he will eat (ie junk - yoghurts, cakes, crisps, biscuits and chocolate) so at least he's had something?

[ScottishMummy]

dont turn food into a battle.instead of good food junk food why not only offer good stuff. your LO will quickly be able to differentiate good Vs Bad food. but imo dont enforce starvation. merely turns food into a battle a source of arguement (for both of you)

[nappyaddict]

i do only offer good food and he refuses to eat that. he always eats yoghurts which i do offer and i know he would eat the other stuff if i offered that too.

[ScottishMummy]

LOL so true no to homemade but yes yes to yoghurt/ice cream!

[stephenandtomsmum]

My little one is just the same, he is 18 months and at the mo it is a strugle to get him to eat, like you i am letting him eat what i know he will eat, yogurt, toast, fruit etc, i used to be really worried but i did a food duary and when i looked over the course of a week i realised that he was not starving himself but grazing and i just did not notice

[nappyaddict]

ds won't even eat toast or fruit - least that is healthy.

[nappyaddict]

well today i have managed to get him to eat 1 weetabix, 2 fishfingers and 1 dessertspoon full of beans so not too bad today.