Ok this is getting serious...

[paradise lost]

I can't add to all the wonderful dietary advice. I just wanted to give you a and tell you that between 22months and 4years i would only eat:
peanut butter
yogurt
grapes
green apples
plain white bread toast without crusts
cream crackers

My parents were worried sick. I continued to grow but was very pale and didn't gain weight for MONTHS at a time - i can still remember mum putting me on the scales every week and dad running his fingers down the knobbles of my spine to see if they were less prominent. I was only ever borderline anaemic, but wouldn't really eat things with a lot of iron in them anyway, so that was a battle with them trying to get iron into me and me always being on that line. They were worried sick, doctors told them to add butter, cream and oil to my foods (how do you add butter to apples? lol) which didn't really help. When i was 4 i suddenly got over it and began eating selectively but MUCH better.

Fast forward - it did me NO long-term harm. It didn't interfere with my development, growth or brain (let's assume the madness is genetic and not nutrition-related ). It was never a reflection on my mum - luckily i was the youngest of her 6 and she had already raised 5 good eaters and knew it wasn't her. I was too busy to eat, had a very weak appetite, and didn't want to waste valuable runnin-about time sitting chewing something.

I would agree that a trip to the doc to try to get him feeling more well would be a good idea, but don't beat yourself up about this or fear long-term horrors. SOme kids are just this way. My love-handles proudly indicate the extent to which i got over it - i'm a total foodie now! Hang in there hun



Bx

[Netix]

I still think you should take him to the dr. Just bite the bullet and go. You might feel worse if you hold off? Forget feeling like crap, it might help him feel better. Not having a go at you, okay? Just if his iron is low, it would be better that you discussed this with a professional. Don't ever be afraid of going to the dr, the worst they can say is there isn't anything to worry about, but don't feel silly or bad for going.

Can't remember if its been mentioned or not, but egg? Hard or soft boiled spooned straight out of the shell is a bit of a novelty if you take the top of the shell off.

Watermelon is a good choice for brekky, but there really isn't anything in it of nutritional value, aside from water. But if its that or nothing, then I guess it has to do.

Re not being happy with toast instead of biscuits, he will eat if he is hungry, as you say he may be filling up of milk. My Mum says hunger is the best chef.

But do take the little tike to the dr, okay?

[squidipa]

Just letting ya know i sent email with recipe in it k

[Von]

Now I feel like a crap mum...dd when she was younger had awful black rings under her eyes and she was also a terrible eater i just thought she was not getting enough sleep...oh well she has made it to 4 so obviously i did something right..lol..

I jave not read through all the posts but my ds is a very fussy eater and will not eat meet actually he wont eat anything unles sit is blended i feel awful that i am blending my 18 months old food still but i figure better blended like mush rather then him not eating, so maybe that is worth ago for you...

and remember you are not a crap mum it is not like you are delibratly not giving your ds food there is only so much we as mums can do we can't force them to eat...trust me on that i have trie dit and well it did not work just caused lots of tears for ds and me and a very big mess afterwards gbh to you

[Arimeh]

Well I haven't taken him to the doc yet - I know I know - but its hard when my husband has the car during the week, and if Miss M doesnt' wake up till later in the morning - he's already left and i'm carless!!!! And I don't really fancy walking up and down one of the steepest hills on the sunny coast with a toddler in the pram and a 2 month old in the ergo!!! I'll see if we can get an appointment on Saturday.

Yesterday was a horrible day - not food wise - but he is just so cranky and irritable all the time - and I find myself yelling at him all the time.. and then I feel like the worst mother and just want to go and hide!!!

He didn't eat any breakfast this morning - at all - he played in his weetbix, had maybe a sip of milk, and drank 1/4 of his sippy cup of (heavily diluted) juice. Didn't even give his toast a look in.

I tried Sarah's suggestion of fairy bread the last few days - he had a little triangle and then chucked a tantie

I always have fresh fruit out on the table and I just let him graze between meals - but most of it goes to waste.

Last night was weird though - he didn't want his dinner (pasta with grated cheese - still a no go!) but then a few hours later when i was making his lunch for day care today - he wanted a vegemite sandwich - and ate 1 and a half sandwiches!!!! Plus some apple (before he choked on it cos he was lying down eating it even though we told him not to) and some of the vegies in the squeezy bag thing...

So that was the most he had eaten for AGES of a night time!!!!! And he didn't wake up either till 6am (had a brief wake up at 10 but that was cos his sister was going mental) so i think most of his wake ups of a night time is because he is starving!!!!!

I'm going to do up my fried rice tonight for his dinner - see if he will eat that.... may as well try!!!!

Squidipa - yup I got them - thanks

I am trying all the hints in here - so keep em coming if you can..

[{sarah}]

Yay on dinner Mel (& Aricyn of course), that's great news!!

[christy]

That must have been a huge relief!!

Soup?? I make a leek & potato soup with ham & cawliflower hidden in it. Matilda loves it.

[~shazz~]

Now I feel like a crap mum...dd when she was younger had awful black rings under her eyes and she was also a terrible eater i just thought she was not getting enough sleep...oh well she has made it to 4 so obviously i did something right..lol..

I jave not read through all the posts but my ds is a very fussy eater and will not eat meet actually he wont eat anything unles sit is blended i feel awful that i am blending my 18 months old food still but i figure better blended like mush rather then him not eating, so maybe that is worth ago for you...
and remember you are not a crap mum it is not like you are delibratly not giving your ds food there is only so much we as mums can do we can't force them to eat...trust me on that i have trie dit and well it did not work just caused lots of tears for ds and me and a very big mess afterwards gbh to you

Well i'll shove my hand up for crap mum awards Ryan still at 2 and a half won't eat veggies unless it is puree'd baby food and i mean tinned baby food i have tried blending home cooked veggies but he knows they aren't the same and refused to eat them he will eat snags but won't eat any other cooked meat but loves deli meats we tried him with a cob of corn and he threw it across the table he has incremin daily becasue he would live on milk if we let him he still has a night bottle for going to bed and he sucks it down in minutes and wants a refill then throws tanty's when there is a NO to his request and now give him a bottle of water we struggle each day to get adequate amounts of food into him and becasue of this he goes to bed with an empty tummy or partially empty and wakes several times through the night it is frustrating to say the least so i'm right there with you and i'm feeling your pain hang in there and maybe a his next check up mention your concerns then or maybe even a referal for a pead good luck with it all