2 1/2 Year Old Not Eating

Its completely normal, suddenly he's going to be STARVING and you won't be able to feed him enough! It all goes with their growing. Just keep offering him his normal meals and snacks. If he't not hungry, he's not hungry. He will eat when he is ready. Try not to worry. As long as he's not losing weight you'll be ok.

I have a really good eater, but he occasionally goes through periods where he doesn't eat much. When he does that I a.) don't worry about it as long as it doesn't last more than 5 day (in which case I would go to the doctor to make sure nothing is wrong, see Megan's comment) and b.) make sure that the food he is offered is of very high nutritional value (ie nothing white, processed, etc.) If he eats nothing when there are no crackers offered, then he eats nothing. Crackers have no nutritional value-- he's eating nothing of value when he eats them, and may be delaying his return to eating healthy food.

If you've got a picky eater (like it sounds you do) you have to think about whether you are ok with that (and maybe find ways to sneak the vitamins and fiber that that diet is missing) or decide if you want to modify his eating behaviors. I personally can' t tolerate picky eating, so I would be offering him a variety of foods that were healthy and balanced and if he doesn't eat them then there will be another opportunity at the next snack or meal. Now, having said that, I know I am probably pretty far out there on the food strictness-- there is a perfectly legitimate case to be made for, "eh, let him eat crackers for a couple days." He will not (baring a medical problem) starve himself to death!

Hi B.,

Yep, in this heat, it's very normal.....make sure he gets enough water......I would cut the snacks or at least make them fruit......

I bet you notice too in a couple of months that he will want to eat you out of house and home.......he will have a growth spurt...........

Just give him healthy stuff and he'll be fine when it cools down a bit........

Take care.

I have similar issues with my 3 old and its been going on for a long time. I was as concerned as you are. I checked with many people and doctores and they all pretty much said the same thing. Don't force a child to eat. They aren't like us adults where we have our meals planned out throughout the day. they don't care thats it 12 noon and thats when lunch is. they will eat when they are hungry. even if its a few bites here and there its ok because their stomachs are soo much smaller then ours they really don't need to eat alot to be satisfied.
if its at the point where he isnt eating anything everyday I would def get him checked because my friends son did this and she found out he had leukemia ... no wonder why he didnt have an appetite.

My daughter, who is npw a healthy 7 year old lived on cheerios for a what felt like forever when she was 2 or 3. Drove me crazy but the doctor said it is normal. Now she eats normal meals and grows normally. Good luck, and the more your child sees you stress over it the worse he will get.

Hi B., My son just turned 3 in May and I have the same problem. His issue is not from being sick or from the heat he just doesnt eat. In fact I'll give you an example....1 day this week he ate 2 chicken nuggets and 2 strawberries all day. I have 4 kids so its not like I don't cook 3 meals and have snacks around he just simply eats when he's hungry. Somedays he eats a little and somedays he will "graze" all day. Somedays he'll eat certain foods only to tell me he doesn't like it the next day. I started to worry too but when I started really paying attention to what he ate the whole week and not just that day it all balanced out. You're doing a great job and trust me 1 day we'll be complaining how much our boys DO eat! :) ( I also have boys that are 18 and 19) T.

Yes, this is normal...especially in the heatwave we've been going through the last couple weeks. Just make sure that he stays hydrated and keep offering food to him. Kids eat when they're hungry. He'll start eating again soon.

I went thru a complete eating strike from Feb - May with my 2yo. He would eat 1/2 a nectarine and nothing else but water for 4-5 days. He lost 5lbs in 2mos and went from being a bad sleeper to a non-sleeper.

What I learned from his therapists (he was a premie with health/developmental issues and is with the Alliance) and the GI specialist at CHP (not from the peed, who kept blowing me off): a typical toddler eating strike is when they stick to a few foods (mostly whites/carbs) for 2-3wks most, and weight loss is never an issue. Keep them hydrated and keep offering foods and including them in the prep (just like you're doing). Picture their meals on a weekly basis, not on an individual meal basis.

My son ended up having ulcers in his throat and stomach, making eating/digesting very painful - he got them from a cold that caused a ton of post nasal drip and vomiting. Once they were healed, he was good to go.

So, hopefully, there haven't been any health issues to trigger poor eating - but there's an example in case you do think of something.

Good luck!!!