Ideas on how to break the hunger strike!

Am looking for any ideas/suggestions on how I can break the almost hunger strike that DS has embarked on in the past week. Its been building gradually over the past few weeks with him becoming more and more difficult to feed. He used always have a good brekkie - wouldn't eat wheatbix to save his life but would happily have egg (scrambled boiled or omlet) and some toast followed by one of those vaalia yoghurts in the car on the way to day care. Now if flat out refusing the egg won't eat toast and may (if Im really lucky) have some of the yoghurt. Lunch is very hit and miss affair and tea is just another excuse to refuse everything that is put in front of him.

He started back at day care week before last and is refusing to eat there also (or if he does eat is only taking a few mouthfuls). When he is there he is doing the same as he is doing here putting a bit into his mouth and then spitting it out on the floor. I know going back to day care is a change for him after being at home with us for 2.5 weeks and he has also moved up into the bigger boys room - 2/3 year olds rather than babies. The girls all said he was so ready to make the move and for the most part is settling in okay.

I am trying soooo hard not to make it a battle and keep on repeating to myself if he is hungry he will eat but man he needs more nourishment that he is getting at the moment and I am at a loss what to do. I managed to persuade him to eat some beef during the week with the promise it was big strong dinasaur food but can only say that so often.

Food has never been a big driver in his life and right now it doesn't seem to factor atall.

Any hints suggestions tips on how to break the cycle or what to offer him please send them my way. I can feel myself getting frustrated at what is happening as well as being concerned for him health wise. He is a skinny little thing so doesn't have any reserves for going through an extended period of not eating properly.

TIA x

Is he teething at all? All mine have done this, particularly when getting the 2 year molars.

Otherwise, I've sort of learnt (after the first one!) that they will eat eventually and just ride it out. A good multivitamin is good too - that can perk up their appetite sometimes :)

Fruit smoothies?

DD is a fussy eater, so I don't have many suggestions. We've only just started getting her to drink a smoothie. I find sometimes that just leaving the food out for her and not fussing means she'll eat. Like I'll make a sandwich for her, ask her to have some lunch, show her where it is and then leave her to it. She'll play and sing and go about her business, sometimes taking over an hour, but eventually, she does go and eat it.

Good luck, it's so incredibly frustrating.

When he was a bit younger than 2, but with a similar amount of upheaval my DS went on a hunger strike. He ate nothing but a few frozen peas at a time for a full fortnight. It took all my fortitude, but what helped in the end was ignoring the strike and carrying on as normal.
Does he speak well your little guy? I was able to ask mine what he wanted (he didn't have many language skills but could communicate reasonably effectively). He only got to choose from food I wanted him to eat, but sometimes that control for them helps. Gradually he took more of what was on offer.

Can you take him shopping, let him choose fruit? How about milk?

My cousin's wife leaves out a bowl of cooked penne pasta with nothing more than a little oil so it doesn't get gluggy and her kids help themselves, no pressure.

Sounds like my DD at the moment!

Try giving him a good multi vitamin with iron as low iron levels can cause you to loose your appetite. It can be a hard cycle to break. Find something healthy he likes and leave it in a bowl for him to snack on.

Thanks ladies. Always good to know that "we are not alone"!.

Mrs NB not sure about the teething. He's been drooling quite a bit over the past few weeks but the dreaded nappy rash that normally accompanies his teething hasn't reared its ugly head so while there might be a bit of movement going on I don't think any of them are breaking through yet.

PRMg I am kindof trying to do that at the weekend and on my day off during the week but doesn't work in mornings when we've to go to work and daycare. The even greater challenge then is preventing the dog snaffling the lot :lol: I'm certainly not being strict as to where he eats. If he wants to eat playing with his cars/trains happy, if it is when watching tv or dvd happy to. I am finding that sometimes when this happens he kindof forgets he is not eating IYKWIM.

Kim his language skills aren't too bad. Im asking him what he wants firstly (he tells me he no wants to eat!) then I ask him does he want x y z (all stuff that he normally likes) and turns his nose up at all of them too. What I have drawn the line at is giving in and letting him have chocolate or just a biscuit instead. I've tried bribery but he doesn't fall for that at the moment!

Kazbah he comes shopping and chooses food for us to get and also get him to help putting in bags trolley etc. He would drink milk morning noon and night if I let him. This is always a real dilema when he's not eating as to how much to give to him as you know that milk will be good for him but I don't want him to get full on that so that he definitely won't eat - grrrrrr catch 22!

BR I am giving him the Penta-vite and have now switched to giving it to him in the morning rather than the evening in case it will tweek his appetite.

He has been marginally better the last day or two but boy oh boy its still hard work and stressie. Hopefully its just settling into day care that has caused this issue to occur and as he gets more settled in his new room he'll go back to normal.

On the house of tiny tearaways, they get kids to just kiss the food then put it down?