I have 11 mo old twins. They both really love to eat. Although they were small at birth and for the first few months, they're now on the plump side. They love to eat (kind of ironic,since getting them to breastfeed was a HUGE struggle.) They're on finger foods now, and not so into being spoon fed. But they GOBBLE their food down. If I give several pieces at once, they cram as many as possible into their mouths. I often give one or two pieces at a time, to try to slow them down, and especially to prevent choking. I've tried giving them larger pieces, in the hopes they would gnaw on them a bit, but nope -- it all goes into the mouth at once. Both of them do this, but it's especially my little girl. I'm afraid that she's obsessed with food, that I might be overfeeding her, that she will never learn to slow down and enjoy her food. (Well, she seems to enjoy it, but only at top speed!) Over the holidays, we've gone to several gathering where there were appetizers on low coffee tables, and they both, especially my daughter, go nuts wanting to taste the goodies. I only ever give them tiny crumbs of treats like cheese and crackers or cookies, but they are sometimes like some dogs I know who just go crazy around food. How normal or abnormal does this all sound? I'm trying to raise them as healthy eaters -- any advice? Thanks
I am a mother of 5 and 3 of them were preemies. My 2 youngest were and are the same way. Do not worry about it and I started my youngest on fingerfoods by the time he was 4 months! It is normal and as they grow up close to the age of 2 you will continue to see this. My 17 month old is just getting better about his eating habits and my almost 3 yr old was the same way and they are both perfectly fine in weight! No worries!!
They sound pretty normal :)
Some thoughts: your desire to instill positive eating habits may be backfiring. Because you are rationing "treats" by giving out "tiny crumbs", its possible you are making these items even MORE attractive that they would be otherwise. This can lead to eating disorders later when too much emphasis is placed on "right" or "wrong" foods. Consider giving them a little more free reign with foods. They will probably go nuts at first, but after time (and some patience by you) they should level out where those "treats" aren't such a big deal anymore and eating healthy is part of their balanced meal.
It may also be that they are merely going through a growth spurt! My little ones go through periods of caring less whether they eat and then suprise me by having periods of varocious appetites!!! Sometimes I don't know where they put all that food. After every weight gain and pudgey period, they shoot up and get thinner again only to go onto the same cycle down the road. I would not worry if they seem a little pudgey...that means they are growing like all other children :)
On a longshot (and I really don't believe this applies), you might consider supplementing their diet with lots of crunchy veggies on the off chance that their nerves are seeking additional input to develop a healthy nervous system. Some children have sensory delays while developing (which are actually fairly common). Oral motor delays can manifest in a need to overstuff the mouth or constantly searching for stimulation. By providing crunchy items and differing textures, you can help stimulate the nervous system to make those connections necessary for healthy development. AGAIN, I seriously doubt this applies but it is food for thought...and if it were the case, it would be a temporary situation easily remedied.
Best of luck to you and your twins!
my grandson was the same way. I thought he was going to be the biggest michelin tire toddler, but once he started walking he slimmed down and his appetite did too. His pediatrician recommended lower cal foods like string cheese and low fat youghurt.
We never did manage to fill him up, he was still piling it in when we decided he was finished.
K.
Remember, your kids are growing at a tremendous rate right now. They will slow down, I promise. When they are 3 and 4 you will be struggling to get them to eat more than one good meal a day!
I would not worry about it. It seems like you are doing the right thing in feeding them only small amounts at a time. Just make sure what you are giving them is good and healthy.
How much time is in between feedings? Maybe you can cut that down a bit. This is a big growth and development time in their lives, so I would certainly not cut back.
Just relax. I promise, they will slow down!
Sounds perfectly normal! If you are trying to raise them on healthly food then try and only give that type of food to them right now so hopefully they will continue to like the healthly stuff compared to the junk foods.
Most people worry about picky eaters. Count your blessings. Make sure they are eating healthy items. Not cookies, candy, junk food, doughnuts, sugar laden cereal, etc. In some families, kids learn to eat fast because once the food is gone, if you didn't get your share you are out of luck till next meal. Probably not like that for your kids, but they might be just competitive. As they learn to walk and run, they will burn off their baby fat. If their pediatrician is happy with their growth and development rate, you are doing just fine!
Enjoy it while it lasts, as long as it's healthy food who cares. My son was like this as a baby, he still has a good appetite, but sometimes it's a battle to just get a good meal in. My daughter wants to live off of crackers and chocolate milk, I wish she was stuffing her face! Lots of fruits m veggies, I swear that's why my kiddos are never sick.
I had the same exact worry with both of my kids (now 5 and 2). I had always heard of moms stressing over their kids not eating for days. NEVER been a problem of mine. My son would eat as much as I would at 15 months of age and on. It really did concern me. Another thing is that both of my kids would have between 3 and 5 dirty (poopy) diapers a day! My pediatrician assured me it was a just a fast metabolism. Sure enough, my son slowed down a lot by the age of 4. He still has a pretty decent appetite though. My daughter (a little over 2) is still eating like a maniac! I swear we are going to go broke feeding the child. If she even hears the mention of food, she decides she's hungry. She can eat a ridiculous amount. I will say, we come from a long line of very healthy appetites but none of us are overweight or even chubby (our kids aren't either). Look at genetics as well. As for shoving food in their mouths, all normal. I would tear up tiny bites of food and space them out all over the high chair tray (that way, they couldn't really scoop up all in one grab).
Hi M.! I strongly recommend getting their blood sugar tested. They may be hypoglycemic.
It is normal! Mine went through the same thing - in fact one usually looked like a chipmunk at feeding time. Just keep to small pieces a few at a time for choking reasons. Cheese and crackers aren't "treats" to us but healthy food. As for cookies, we LOVED the gerber Arrowroot ones (read the label - lots of nutrition). Just be glad at this age they are healthy eaters, around 2 they'll enter the picky stage. My pediatrician has told me that studies show exclusively breast-fed babies never have problems with obesity so you have started them off right already.
My daughter went through a stage of not wanting to chew her food--a little older than yours. She would stuff as much in and chew the minimum amount to get it down. I tried not to make a big deal about it (not wanting to give attention that might encourage her) and reinforced how we chew our food.
As long as you are offering the healthiest choices possible, I don't think you need to worry so much about their weight at this age. My daughter always chubs up a bit before having an upward growth spurt. As long as you continue to model healthy eating habits, they'll adjust over time.
It is normal for kids to get excited over new foods...you she see my daughter at my Mom's house! Way too much temptation there!
M., I have an 11 month old girl and can relate. At times, she acts like I never feed her and eats everything you put in front of her, especially carbs (just like mommy!). Other times, she spits out everything I try. It's like a guessing game, will she eat today or not? It's really frustrating at times, but most of the time, I try to laugh at the situation and let it go. Ultimately, as long as they are getting a balanced diet, I don't think you need to worry too much at this age. They are still experiencing the world and learning what is enough and what is too much. Good luck!
Hi M.,
We didn't have this problem, but it is a great opportunity for your kids to develop a love of fruits and especially vegetables. Let them fill up on a big variety of veggies and fruits and minimal high calorie stuff (bread, meat, sweets, etc). Yes, it is work prepping the produce, but they'll develop healthy eating habits to last a lifetime.
Too many people (myself included) worry that their kids don't eat enough, so offer mostly bread and meat, and then the kids never develop a liking for all the various veggies.
Good luck, A.
Could it be they are competing with one another? Who can eat the most, the fastest or something like that? There are ways to ease some of this competitiveness if that's the case. Look into the book "Siblings Without Rivalry" for help. Good luck!
