ladies, i have heard "the stories" but i still have to ask - is it really normal for my 2 1/2 year old son to eat as much as me at dinner?? he has never had an "off" button (you know they tell you that infants won't overeat, they'll stop when they're full - not my son! he would eat continuously if i let him until he was spitting it up because he was just TOO FULL) my sitter likes to kid that she gives him seconds of EVERYthing, EVERY time, and he still asks for more...i mean i'm a big girl and i know for a fact that i overeat, but my lil man is only 2 1/2! he is in the 97th percentile for both height and weight (meaning his height is proportionate, he's actually not fat at all) i just can't figure out where he puts it. he will sit at the dinner table for 45 minutes "eating", and by golly you better not take his plate or all heck will break loose... i hope this is just a phase or a growth spurt - all his dr's appointments have gone perfectly and the dr. has always said he's growing just exactly right...please tell me other little boys do this! thanks in advance!
thanks girls! a lot to consider. of course we try to keep things healthy at snack and mealtime, and a part of it is just that he's 2 1/2 and eats a LOT slower than we do. and of course, he is constantly moving, and he never "walks" anywhere, but is always running, skipping, or dancing...i am sure he's fine, thanks for all the responses, i am so glad to hear this is something a lot of moms go through. he is proportionate, like i said, and the dr. is always happy with his checkups, so my mind is more at ease now. just needed that bit of reassurance. thanks mamasource mamas!
My son is 2 1/2 and is an eating machine! We feed him good nutritious food, and he often can't get enough! Just keep feeding him nutritious food and let him go.
It sounds normal. And I too have been shocked by their growth spurts. Sometimes Im convinced my daughter will starve how little she eats and sometimes I will be feeding her something every hour. There has been a few times she has eaten more than me. I am really ashamed of admitting this, but last week my daughter and I got a large pizza from Cecil's and we ate the whole thing! She ate most of it! My daughter is technically a little underweight, shes 45% for weight and height. I remember feeding my nephew when he was one, and that little stinker ate a whole pbj sandwich and a fruit. I was amazed how much he could put down. But hes two now, and where he is supposed to be. It sounds like your son is doing ok. He may be a linebacker, hes a big boy, but for how tall he is, hes probably going to eat more because hes bigger. But any concerns you have, you can tell his doc and Im sure he will assure you he is fine. Watch him for a little bit, after this spurt my may even notice he gets taller, I can always tell when my baby gets taller. Good luck!
My guess is that he is just fueling up for all of the running and climbing that they do at this age. I would try and make sure that you are offering him lots of healthy things, fresh veggies, fruits,whole grains etc. I think it is more important to teach WHAT to eat...the how much to eat will probably take care of itself!!
Not only is this normal, but he could surprise you and all the sudden turn into a picky little man. He'll slow down at some point. For now this is what he needs. :) I'm sure you are working hard to make sure he's only eating very healthy things and not filling up on junk.
I too struggle with weight and I've always worried about my girls following in my footsteps. Eventually, I just had to let go and let it turn out as it would. So far so good. None of them have followed in my footsteps yet. The grown daughters do struggle to keep it off though!
Suzi
Good Morning Carrie, I would like to say most little boys have a bottomless pit when it comes to food, but I can't say that for sure...lol Corbin is 4 and has always been in the 95-97% also, he is right on target as far as his health check ups. He used to eat anything you put in front of him, salad, veggies,fruits galore. Not anymore. It's like pulling hen's teeth to get him to eat most days. He is active and always on the go. His brother Zane 19 months Saturday, won't try anything new, or eat anything else except Cheerios, Oatmeal,toddler cereal bar, occasionally he will eat PBJ, french fries, fish crackers, loves Cheetos, Other then that NO way. Will knock it out of your hand if you try to give him a cookie or banana.
Yesterday it was pretty warm here finally, we wanted a snack picnic, so i pulled out the vanilla ice cream cups. Zane had a fit, slapped my hand, pushed it away, wouldn't touch it. He does the same at home with mom and dad. So we are just the opposite WE need to get him to eat more. But his check ups are right on target also. We are stymied.
He will probably slow down Carrie, as long as he is on target and active he should be ok
God Bless
K. Nana of 5
I think this is normal for some kids. My oldest girl is 7 1/2 and sometimes will eat as much as her dad. I kid and say she has a hollow leg she's trying to fill up. She is tall and bigger. She's in the first grade and the size of most of the 3rd graders. As long as his height and weight are in proportion I wouldn't worry about it. We just make sure that our girl is getting a lot of fruite and veggies and keep the cookies and stuff to a minamum. And it's hard but sometimes we just have to tell her "no". Ours will ask for a 2nd hambeger and I just have to say sorry but no. We don't want her to start eating out of control. When she asks for things like a 2nd hamberger we usually offer her some fruit or yogert if she's really still hungrey. Just keep giving him the healty stuff (make lots of green beans at dinner) and let him fill up his hollow leg and keep him moving (I'm betting that he moves a lot and burns off what he's putting away). Good luck and be happy that you have one that eats!!
My oldest son ate as a toddler amazing amounts, and now he is 6'3" and 160 lbs. For a number of years until he 10 or so, we would go to Pizza Hut for the buffet and he would eat the quivalent of a large pizza by himself. So, yes, it can be VERY VERY normal. Just make sure he is getting LOTS of physical play time. If he's in the 97th percentile for both height & weight, he has ALOT of growing to do!! Enjoy!
As long as he's eating the good stuff, I wouldn't worry about it. If he is eating a lot of carbs (breads, pastas, processed foods)that sort of thing, then it can be a problem. It would be hard to refuse food to a child that young. He may just be going through a growth spurt, my son did that a while back, too. If he is getting plenty of exercise and stays active, feed him! But make sure it's nutritious foods.
Carrie,
It can be normal; however, some children eat without stopping and become upset when food is denied (even if the child is fed MORE than enough for his/her age)---the disease has some kind of name, but I cannot think of it right now. I am not saying this to scare you, but just so you know what to consider if weight and/or emotional outbursts continue.
Offer the child as many healthy foods as possible. Some children just seem to "have a hole in their big toe" where food just seems to magically disappear! I have one son who eats like a horse and five minutes later is "hungry" again while his twin eats like a bird! Both weigh within two pounds of each other and are the same height which is within the "normal" range. Go figure!
Enjoy your child and let the little guy eat as much healthy food as he likes as long as there is no huge weight issues. Some people just have faster metabolism rates than others!
Have a great day!
K.
Its not only the boys! My younger daughter would routinely eat more than me as an infant and toddler despite being tiny! As long as the doctors visits are ok, what he's eating is healthy, and he's active I wouldn't worry too much. It could be too that if he's eating really fast he's just missing the signal that he's full. You might try to give him 2 servings and then tell him he has to wait 1/2 hour before getting more. Then distract him (or wait out the tantrum!) and see if he's still hungry then...Also, thirst can sometimes be confused for hungry- does he drink enough?
my son was a skinny as could be and ate like a horse I didn't know where he was putting it either. He's 25 now and still could eat you out of house and home and still skinny.
I was always underweight even up until I got pregnant with my daughter. I am also on the short side. I always had the hunger spurts. I remember at 12, I ate more than 2 grown men, a grown woman, and my older overweight brother more times than not. I didn't gain any weight. My little girl is small for her age (no surprise) and is growing through a hunger spurt. It is a bit unnerving.
It's normal. My 2-1/2 year old can regularly eat more than I do at a meal. His activity level is also a lot higher than mine, he's always moving, doing!
If you're concerned about him eating too much in one sitting and getting over-full, I'd suggest offering him smaller snacks - healthy "middle-meals" that will keep him feeling satisfied.
Snacks are when I'm most successful getting fruits and veggies into my little one. Our favorite is probably apple slices with peanut butter and crackers on a plate in middle of a blanket on the livingroom floor for a "picnic". A fruit juice popsicle, grapes cut in half, or a piece of cheese. The list goes on... I'm sure you can come up with some creative ideas that will get his interest.
They say it would be best for all of us to eat 4-6 smaller meals in the day - maybe you can teach your son some good habits and make your 3-square family meals a little more pleasant at the same time!?
I am no expert. Yes, he is a growing boy. But NO he does not need to eat that much. Obesity is a growing problem (no pun inteneded). If he learns bad eating habits now, he will only take them into his teenage life then his adult life. Not only that, it highers his risk for health problems in the long run. Have you told the doctor how much he eats? Maybe he has a suggestion. Fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lots of protein should keep him full. Not sugar loaded and processed things. Good Luck!
Stephanie
Carrie, I guess it all depends on what you are feeding him. If you are giving seconds on veggies and fruit then no I don't think it is harmful, but I seriously think that you know your 2 year old should not be eating the same amount as you eat in one sitting. You are the mom and you need to be the one who sets the limits. Sure kids go through growth spurts, but eating for a solid 45 minutes ( unless we are talking about a slow eater) seems a bit much. I know for adults we have guidlines for what a "serving is" I don't know if there are any such guidlines for toddlers...ask your pediatrician or call and talk to the nurse. Please, his stomach is smaller than yours. Don't set him up to have unhealthy eating habits to over eat.
If he is that hungry meal times don't need to be 3 squares a day, break them up into smaller meals with healthy snacks, but don't fall into the grazing all day pattern either. Lots of luck
B.
