More food issues

[BrightSparkles]

DD1 (3.5) has always had issues with meals. She eats most things when she does eat but lately she has eaten barely anything.
Dinner times are always a fight with her say her wants to go hungry or put it in the fridge to take to daycare to eat. She then eats nothing for the rest of the night. She has a glass of milk at bedtime. She sometimes has afternoon tea about 4pm particularly if i'm working late other than that she doesn't eat at night time.
I don't know what else to do, i've run out of ideas. Shes tiny so i don't know whats happning. They very rarely get "junk" food as such in our house... they have lots of fruit, raw vegies and homemade hommus, i make muffins etc for day care the only things i buy are museli bars and 1 treat to last the week ie. they get a packets of wafers or similar to take to dc.
DH is insistant on her eating dinner that ends up in fights and tears. Im lost, don't know what else to do. I'm worried shes not getting the nutrients she needs and that she is so tiny to start with.

[onthefly]

It's so hard when they do this! My DS has been doing this for ages too. It's very frustrating. I understand your worry about her nutrients, but it's highly unlikely that she will starve herself.
My advice:

Do not make it a fight. Offer her food and try to avoid any negotiation or encouragement to eat. She eats or she does not eat - it's her choice.
Stop the glass of milk. It will fill her tummy. Sounds cruel (and I totally understand where you're coming from), but if she knows she's getting that milk, she'll just hold out on dinner.
If she's happy to eat at 4pm, why not make that her dinner time? My kids are often too tired to eat properly after 5pm. we eat dinner at 4:30 usually.
Or, try having a big lunch and little dinner instead.


My husband *still* has a hard time letting go of trying to get DS to eat, but he's getting there. DS often pronounces dinner 'disgusting' and says he'd rather go to bed hungry than eat it. I say ok and leave it at that. Invariably, he ends up coming back to his dinner at bed time,, because he's hungry and it's not so disgusting after all. We just leave it there for him. Sometimes, if he's had a big lunch or lots of food during the day, he's just not hungry. When we tried to get him to eat it, it became a battle and a way for him to try and control us. No fun!

Good luck!

[Little Chicken]

My husband *still* has a hard time letting go of trying to get DS to eat, but he's getting there. DS often pronounces dinner 'disgusting' and says he'd rather go to bed hungry than eat it. I say ok and leave it at that. Invariably, he ends up coming back to his dinner at bed time,, because he's hungry and it's not so disgusting after all. We just leave it there for him. Sometimes, if he's had a big lunch or lots of food during the day, he's just not hungry. When we tried to get him to eat it, it became a battle and a way for him to try and control us. No fun!

Good luck!

All of that. My DD1 while tall, is quite slim. She is so not a dinner fan, unless it is toast with Vegemite. Eats well during the day but next to nothing at night. Still growing out of her clothes. Don't let it get to you. I am sure (I hope) it will pass.

[Miss.B]

Hun, my DS is 2 and quite a poor eater since 18 months old. Before that he ate anything and everything! He is above average in height but slightly below average in weight. I've sought opinions from a MCHN, and a paed and both have said not to force him to eat, just offer food and occasionally introduce somethig new in hope of him liking it. He's got a pretty limited range of foods he actually likes, but I've been slowly changing the tastes he likes and that has led me to creating new dishes. His food intake was horrendous a few weeks ago but has improved slightly of late. GL hun, if she's hungry she will eat, but like MadB said, I would cut out the milk at night and hopefully she's eat dinner instead. And I also second the idea of making the late afternoon meal as dinner, and give her a snack like a yogurt before bed maybe? All the best hun xox