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South Florida Babies
Abby refuses to eat... what to do?
I know that they go through phases of eating, but Abby has decided she doesn't want to eat ANYTHING lately. She throws her food everywhere, screams and grabs the plate and tries to toss it on the floor. She only wants to eat fruit, also, which is really unlike her- she's alwys been good about eating her veggies. I've tried everything (giving her different food, not giving her snacks so she's hungrier at meals, letting her "graze" during the day,e tc...) and nothing works. The worst is dinner time. We have to put the tv on to get her to eat, which we hate doing, and don't want to make a habit out of it. I also don't want her to go to sleep hungry. And the thing is, now she wants to drink like 16-18 oz of milk before she goes to bed. I'm worried she's not getting enough nutrients and is falling into a bad habit. I don't know if this something to be really concerned about, enough to call the pedi and see what she says, or just suck it up and deal wtih it until she decides to eat again. she's getting her canines, but she doesn't seem to be fussy during the day and has no problem eating bananas, grapes or her gerber cookies.
advice?
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Re: Abby refuses to eat... what to do?
More than likely it's a phase, its normal that they go through different stages of foods. How long has she been doing it?
Keep offering her a variety of foods. She will eat when she's hungry. Don't make a big deal out of it otherwise it will become a bigger issue. If she throws food, give her one chance with a warning, if she does it again, meal time is over. If you're worried about her going to bed hungry, wait a while after you end the meal and give her a small snack of something you know she will eat.
I would stop giving her so much milk before bed. Just tell her no. No more than 7 or 8 oz. She'll get out of the habit quickly if she knows that she's not in charge.
As for the tv, IMO, not a big deal, we watch TV while we eat, so if it works, then keep doing it.
Everyonewe goes through this with thier kids at some point. At 18 months old Nicky's eatings habits changed drastically. He was an awesome eater before that and then all of a sudden he didn't like any of the foods he used to like and he wouldn't eat willingly, I had to chase him around popping bites of food into his mouth just to get him to eat (which I still have to do sometimes!). There was a week just before Thanksgiving this year where he literally ate nothing for five days. I was on the verge of tears by bedtime every single night that week, completely stressed out from trying to force him to eat and watching him spit it all out and throw it all over the floor.
Then as quickly as the bad eating started, it stopped. For about 4-5 months now he has been a great eater again. I pray every day it lasts, yet at the same time I am waiting for it to come to an end...
Just make sure she takes a daily vitamin.
Its probably a phase, like Leanna said. The good news is - she is not going to starve herself. Say that to yourself - she is not going to allow herself to go hungry and wither away. The hardest thing in the world to a lot of parents, myself included, is when their kids refuse a meal.
But you need to be strong. Do not get up and offer or make her something else. Especially not dessert - even if its fruit and the only thing she will eat. Also, cut down her milk before bed. That is hard - I know - because we never want them to go to sleep hungry. But you need to if you are going to try to reteach good eating habits.
So, set up her meals with choices. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Give her 2-3 choices that you know she usually likes on her plate so if she refuses one...you know in your gut there is another choice. If she refuses both, let her drink the milk or whatever you usually give her with it. But a reasonable amount. Say, 3oz of milk in a cup. When she finishes it, if she asks for more - don't give her any more milk unless she eats her food. If she eats, great. If not, if she throws a fit - pick up all her food and throw it away or put it in the sink. The meal is done. Rinse and repeat for breakfast and dinner.
Stop the grazing during the day. Set up snack times in the morning and in the afternoon. Fruit, yogurt, crackers, cheese, etc. A reasonable, snack sized amount. And when snacktime is over, put it away. Even if she is nto done. She needs to be hungry if she is going to eat her meals.
Trust me. I have had to do this for Sophie a dozen times in her life. She goes through these stages and fights me hard on food I know she loves. Its frustrating but the more you give in - the more she is going to do it. You need to put your foot down.
Godson, 2 yrs old, is a super picky eater, and only eats w/ his mom or grandma. The only thing he asks for is "leche pink" (strawberry milk). For the nutrients, SIl gives him a carnation daily packet mixed in his milk instead of cereal (more nutritional value).
Also, to keep him entertained during eating, she got him special toys only to be used during eating (small trinkets from the dollar store that he loves). He knows if he doesn't eat, they he can't play w/ them... and since he likes them a lot, he usually eats more. When he's at my house, I do the same, but with coloring.
Hope Abby eats!
"If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane" -- Jimmy Buffett
Ditto everything L said. Chelsea went through a phase of only wanting to eat pancakes - pancakes for breakfast. lunch, and dinner. I think Eli went through this as well, I think it was cheerios.