Please help, he won't eat

[melfunction]

My usually unstoppable 18 mth old has started refusing to eat :eek: No amount of coaxing will get him to open his mouth and I don't want to be a parent who will be in the kitchen for hours on end just to find something he will eat.

He isn't losing weight (he's 14 kgs), but is this normal behaviour? I'm starting to get concerned. Is this just another phase?

[TwoBlue]

just a phase Mel.. dont stress and dont keep giving him more in the hope that he will eat something...

heres you food.. dont want to eat it ok then... gone.
and so on all day.. he will eat when he is hungry.

My DS started this at about 18mths... he goes weeks at a time hardly eating, then eats liek a horse for a while and then goes back to not eating.. i am so used to it now.

[veve]

I have no real advice Mel .. just wanted to send a few :hugs: your way ...

just when we think we are being good mums .. they throw us a curveball!!

xx
JEn

[draught]

Oi - you two mods - this is for experts to post!!

(But Mel both of mine have done this - one is still going - and twoblue's advice is my approach too!)

[TwoBlue]

oh lol Theresa i hadnt even noticed :laughing:

woops sorry

[the pero clinic]

Dear Melephant,

Toddlers certainly can go through periods of food fussiness and food refusal that are normal. It isn’t normal if certain food types or textures are consistently avoided, a child eats a very limited range of foods, a child is distressed with eating, food refusal is accompanied by general unwellness and poor hydration, or if a child begins to lose weight or not continue to grow.

Remember that toddlers can need less food than when they were babies, as they do not continue to grow at the same rate. Children are also very good at knowing when they are hungry and when they are not. So it is possible that your little one is just not hungry. It’s also possible that he is learning to assert himself and say ‘no’ – just because he can!

If your son is concerning you in other areas of his health – such as tummy issues, fevers, low energy, poor hydration, disturbed sleep – then please have him checked by your doctor or CHN.

Otherwise, it may be best to ignore the issue for the moment. You will only encourage the food refusal if you try to force him to eat or offer endless choices of foods that he will only get in the habit of refusing.

Offer your little boy healthy foods when he is hungry (try to be flexible with your routine) or at your regular mealtimes. Allow him time to eat. Take away any food that isn’t eaten and do not offer alternatives. His next meal time will only be a few hours away, not next week, so don’t worry about him starving.

the pero clinic