Need some help here from the moms

I'm pulling my hair out. I've been very diligent in introducing the boys to different foods and giving them a balanced variety. I balance veggies, fruits, breads and protein. I try to make sure they have appropriate amounts each day and I give snacks each day as a supplement. Their snacks are typically fruit, cheese or yogurt. They both have always been great eaters and G still is, but for the past two weeks I can't get M to eat hardly anything and then it has to be just what he wants. Today for instance I offered him Mac N Cheese - it's one of his favorites. He spit it out. I offered a second bite - he spit it out. He's done that with potatoes, chicken, beef stew - all some of his favorites. We alternate mornings between oatmeal with fruit and grits, eggs, cheese and a sausage mixed in. He nixed the grits and eggs and spit those out as well - typically he will eat the entire bowl. He wouldn't eat his brocolli and cheese yesterday and that's something he loves. In fact it's easier to say what he will eat - he'll eat oatmeal, a banana and cheese. Sometimes he'll eat his yogurt that that is absolutely all he will put in his mouth right now. Today G ate his mac n cheese, green beans and chicken. I finally had to give M oatmeal to get anything down him. It's been getting worse. I started buying pedia sure for the past two weeks and giving him one each day because I know he's not getting a balanced meal. Has anyone else gone through this and how did you get your once good eater back into a balanced routine. Is this a stage? I never remember either of my girls doing this. He just flat out won't eat and he's always been the best eater of the two. I don't want him to come to depend on the pedia sure and I know I can't just keep offering oatmeal and cheese. I need help I need suggestions. Thanks.\

Kathy

 

I think one or both have gone through this - don't remember. I do remember asking the dr about it. The response? Just feed them, they'll eat when they're hungry.

You don't mention the ages, but you did mention that you're feeding him. So I'm assuming under the age of 2?? I think it's a phase. Don't worry it.

I always figured as long as they're getting food, they'll be good. There have been weeks when Brody won't touch breakfast - which kills me since I'm sending him to pre-school. But he's fine, he just eats a big lunch at the sitters. I have also noticed that even though they eat only oatmeal for a week, when their little bodies needs a veggie or fruit, they reach for the banana on the counter.

Just keep offering the 'good stuff'

 

My kids go through choosy phases as well. We offer the same foods and they eat some, ignore some and some days eat nothing. They will not starve themselves and the overall week's worth of food is a better idea than a day by day checklist of food. I suggest keep offering the same foods and when he's hungry, he'll eat. the pediasure can't hurt!

 

They like to have control as toddlers, and what they eat or not, is one thing they can control. Keep offering it - but expect some craziness, too. Our pedi. says to average what they are eating over a week since a lot of toddlers go through feeding craziness at this age. And I'm hoping this phase passes quickly, too.

 

To answer Angela - yes they are under 2 - they are just 13 months old and being old and never having the internet when the girls were young, I now have all this time to research and see how important good nutrition is to their crucial development. Okay I have to admit - I read that protein is important to brain development, green veggies protect against this or that and I have just been overwhelmed with all the information out there over the internet. The only thing it hasn't told me is what to do when they go through these phases. I mean up until two weeks ago, he would eat anything offered and gobble it down with no problem - everything that is but green peas - they both hate those. He just suddenly stopped eating and will only eat those few things. I'm just so protective over them and want them to be healthy, strong and do everything just right. I worked when my girls were born and sitters and others basically went through this phase for me. Now with my grandsons I have a chance to do it myself and I want to do it right. If I thought I caused some type of developmental delay by not giving them what they need it would just kill me. He loves the pediasure so I hope it's everything it's advertised to be and he still eats his oatmeal and I know that's good for him and the cheese offers a certain amount of protein, but I know the bananas can't offer everything he needs from fresh veggies. I worry myself silly over them. Thanks for the info and help from each of you. It's nice to know it's a phase and that he probably won't starve himself.

 

I used to sneak stuff in the oatmeal too

 

Mine started getting really picky around 15-18 months. Madison is much worse in general though. Alina will at least still eat veggies. I finally just decided to TRY not to stress about it too much. I know some people are stricter with their kids about "they eat what we offer or they don't eat". I usually just try to get something decent in them whether its fruit or yogurt. I was a pretty picky eater growing up and I always hated having to 'try a bite' or 'finish my plate'. Once I hit adulthood, I started eating and trying all kinds of things I wouldn't touch as a kid, so I figure being a picky eater won't scar mine for life either.

My parents just kept the girls last week and she called me last night and said "I just wanted you to know, in case you found out some other way, that I was a mean Grandma. I made Madison sit in her chair until she ate 3 bites of supper because she didn't eat anything for lunch either." I just laughed and told her she's not a meanie...that happens all the time at our house...that's the only way we can get food in her sometimes! Gotta love how Moms soften into Grandma's!

 

Oh, if you're super concerned about all that you're reading - then find a place on the internet that teaches you how to make food look fun.

Like a broccoli can be a tree with some celery grass, cut up a green pepper to look like a mouse - you get the idea. If they think that it's fun, they may be more apt to eat it.

And remember, that all of these types of things can be found in *other* things. Like there's protein in that cheese that he'll eat, not just meat. You can give them 1/2 of a vitamin as a supplement also. Like iron isn't only in meat, you can find it in broccoli or spinach or squash.

None of this will probably change that he's in control of what he puts in his mouth though! LOL As PP mentioned, this is what they can control.

Good luck!

 

Kathy, they aren't going to eat it if they aren't hungry. Mine go through what I call "hunger strikes". I do give them SOMETHING (even pediasure) but it doesn't last forever and then they are eating again.

If the SUM TOTAL of what they eat in a day = ONE good meal, you are in GREAT SHAPE!!!

 

We hit the wall this week. They ate about 2 bites for lunch and pitched temper tantrums in the highchair so out they came. :angry: Ugh! I hope they will at least eat a decent dinner but judging from the posts...I doubt it. I give them a baby spoon or fork too and sometimes that is enough to at least hold their attention so I can cram some stuff in at the same time.

 

Paw paw and I kept the boys last night so mom and dad could get some shopping done. Paw Paw was absolutely positive that after we went down to the creek and fed the ducks and played hard that M would be hungry and that he would love a Happy Meal. Well we stopped by Mickey D's and ordered two cheeseburger happy meals sans pickles. First off coming across the train track - as is State Law, we stopped to look for trains since there is no signal crossing and a teenage boy in the truck behind us gunned his truck and acted like he was going to hit us, shot around us, speeded across the tracks flipping us off. Much to his shock when he pulled into the Mickey D's across the road so did we. We were in the drive up lane right behind him so much to my husband's chagrin I got out of the car went to the surprised young man's window and knocked on it. I told him if he ever pulled a stunt like that again, I would have his tag run and make sure I had a long chat with his mother and that he needed to get out and come take a look in our back seat at the two toddlers that were with us. That I wouldn't tolerate him or anyone endangering them and his eradic driving did just that. He promptly apologized and pulled out of the drive up lane and left. Okay enough of that - we got the Happy Meals and G wolfed his down. M ate a fry or two and spit the cheeseburger out repeatedly. When we got home I got out some cheese and crackers and he ate a cracker with a slice of cheese.

This morning I put half pedia sure in his milk and half in it again at lunch to get him to drink his milk as well. He ate his oatmeal fine this morning - just not a lot. At dinner I tried one of your suggestions. I snuck veggies into his meal. He loves sweet potatoes so I added a little butter, a little brown sugar, a little banana and mashed that up. Then I cooked some rutabagas. They are like a root vegetable - similar to a turnip root, but sweeter. They are orange in color when cooked so I took a couple of those - they are loaded with vitamins - and mashed those into the sweet potatoes and bananas. The potatoes and bananas were strong enough in flavor that they completely masked the rutabagas. I got him to take several bites - actually quite a bit - then G cleaned the rest of the plate. Another thread posted talked about making fruit/veggie drinks and smoothies, so tonight I'm going out to purchase one of those Magic Bullet things they were talking about. As for vitamins that someone mentioned - are you giving the chewable kind or liquid and do you have a prescription are just using OC drugs? M has always been the thinner of the two and I just don't see where he can afford to lose weight.

 

You can pump his caloric intake by adding full fat butter and cream cheese to things that he will eat on days when he is being a picky pants. My Natalie is a tiny thing and that is what we HAVE to do to keep weight on her. She loves cream cheese and jelly sandwiches. I know it sounds gross but she loves them. I use flavored whipped cream cheese (lately it's been the berry flavor) and I use a cooridinating jam or jelly (blackberry at the moment.) She can eat a whole sandwich like this. Occasionally, she'll eat a PB&J. Add nonfat powdered milk to mac n cheese and oatmeal for added calories and calcium. Another of Natalies favorite calorie dense foods in fruit and cream flavored oatmeal. I add a TBSN or two of powdered milk and a pat of butter. Add a slice of american cheese to two scrambled eggs. Offer full fat ranch dip or make your own with full fat sour cream to dip veggies. I offer full fat milk with a couple of tbsp of carnation instant b'fast a few times a week, if I'm worried about the calories and vitamens. Most importantly, if you are offering full fat options and he is eating something through the course of the day and NOT acting hungry, don't worry. He really will eat when he needs it.

 

I would also talk to the pediatrician to see if you can at least slow down your worrying....from what i've been told, it's really the sum total of what they're eating over the course of a WEEK, not a day; they go through picky phases.

you've already gotten great suggestions for 'sneaking' nutritious stuff in - will he eat pasta? If so, you can put veggie purees into a red sauce and they'll never know.

as for smoothies; if you have a blender you don't need to buy anything else (i don't know what a magic bullet is): i use milk, tofu (full of protein!) yogurt and frozen fruit to make a delicious 'milkshake'....the frozen fruit makes it thick and creamy and you can play around with different combos. I often buy bananas and once they're super ripe will peel them and freeze them in a ziplock bag - a lot easier than trying to peel a frozen one with the skin on!).

Kids won't let themselves starve and, well, when i think of what I ate when i was little (months where i only ate shredded lettuce from a bowl with chopsticks, or chicken noodle soup)- i know why it made my mother crazy but - well, i managed to graduate college!

You are a wonderful - and lucky - grandma to be able to spend so much time iwth them, and they are fortuanate to have you!

As for that teenager and his erratic driving - GOOD FOR YOU!!!!

 

Welcome to toddlerhood. My kids are great eaters for the most part, but somedays they just aren't going to eat something I know they love. That's just part of being a toddler. They will eat when they are hungry and as long as their meals are balanced over the course of a week I do not stress. Remember there is protein in dairy.

Definitely ask your pedi about this, they should calm your fears. It could be teething, mine don't eat much when they are teething (especially molars) or have an ear infection.

 

My girlfriend is a Registered Dietitian and she has the best advice.


You decide what they eat.

You decide when they eat.

They decide how much they eat.



Just keep offering good choices and they will be fine