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Any tips for dealing with a slow eater?

neverblushedneverblushed member
in School-Aged Children

My son, who will be starting kindergarten in a week, eats SO SLOWLY!!!

It's just starting to dawn on me how much of a problem this could be next week.  At this very moment, he's about 60% of the way through a bagel that he's been working on since 8.

I know this could cause a problem in the cafeteria as well.

Any advice on getting a pokey eater to speed it up a little?  Or will this problem go away on its own when he's on a tighter schedule?

High School English teacher and mom of 2 kids:

DD, born 9/06/00 -- 12th grade
DS, born 8/25/04 -- 7th grade
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Re: Any tips for dealing with a slow eater?

  • SassyBookWormSassyBookWorm

    My DD is a slow eater too. The only solution that I have been able to come up with is to send nothing that needs to be opened by an adult (IE no chips in the bags they come in, put them in a zip lock bag, don't send a juice box use a cup that they can just flip a lid on, ect.).  I pre-cut sandwiches and fruit.  It works out. She is able to eat most of it. 

    I wouldn't worry too much.  By the time lunch comes, he will be hungry and I think seeing how quickly the other kids eat will help him out. 

    Good luck!!!

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  • DandelionMomDandelionMom

    Ditto Mittens about making sure he can open his own lunch.  Also it helps to cut things into small pieces. 

    I found these little toothpick like forks at Target and DD loves to eat her lunch with them.  They really speed things up. 

    .
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  • NJBritNJBrit
    My SS eats very slowly as well, although it's partially because he is distracted from his ADHD. I really try to make his food "fun" and have found that it makes eating go a lot quicker. For instance, I'll make him a snack of "apple boats", which are apple wedges with a thin pretzel stuck straight out on the inside with a triangle of cheddar cheese on the other end of the pretzel. He loves to "destroy" the boats by chomping on them, which normally makes snack time go a lot quicker!
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  • neverblushedneverblushed member

    Thanks all!

    I have been practicing with him how to open snack items, but he's not quite there yet.  He can handle a ziploc bag, but he can't rip open his own granola bar.

    I seem to remember my DD was like this, too, but I don't remember it being this bad.  I'm like, "eat! EAT!"

    High School English teacher and mom of 2 kids:

    DD, born 9/06/00 -- 12th grade
    DS, born 8/25/04 -- 7th grade
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  • shouldbworkinshouldbworkin
    My friend's DD has this problem.  She feeds her a huge, protein rich breakfast so that if she doesn't eat much for lunch she is ok. 
    DS1 age 7, DD age 5 and DS2 born 4/3/12
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