Strange Eating - 15 Month Old

Okay, my 2 year old does this too. She drinks her meals. I talked to the pediatrician. Just cut back that amount she drinks, you're the one who fills the bottle/sippy cup. Or only fill it halfway. You'll be suprised when she won't get anymore she'll eat. I may cause a couple tantrums at first, but they won't last long.

While he had the full blown ear infection it hurt to chew and to swallow to a lesser degree. The first things that went down without pain were liquids. He is just feeling his way back into chewing. Give him some time, it will come.

Kids will eat when they are hungry, the liquids are good for him as as long as he is acting normal and not losing any weight I wouldn't worry too much.Children will not starve themselfs.When they are hungry the will eat.It may also hurt to chew since he is recovering from a ear infection.The jaw is very close to the ear and movement may cause him pain, I know it does me when I get ear infections.I have suffered with them since I was a child.My doctor now says it is because I lived in a home where my Dad smoked every day around me.Not sure he is right but my youngest sister never had one and he never smoked in the house when she was a child my step mom forbid it.

My SIL is going through the same thing with her 17mo. She used to be a very good eater, then just suddenly stopped. She'll eat a little cereal in the morning, a couple bites of food during the day and that's it. She does drink plenty of milk and fluids. The doctor told her that as long as she wasn't losing weight and she was having regular bowel movements, that she shouldn't worry. And like the other mothers said, he won't go hungry. He'll eat, whatever you offer him, if he's hungry enough.

my two year old does that sometimes and i tell her that if she wants more milk she has to eat a few more bites of food and that works out fine for me.

While it seems to me he is probably just getting used to being able to chew without it hurting and going through the picky eating stage...I just wanted to make sure that you were still monitoring his bowel movements. I went through this with my son and found out that even though we was going it wasn't enough. On the x-ray they showed me he was backed up clear into his ribs! It was crazy. Just a thought...good luck.

While I haven't been experiencing this yet with my 12-month old daughter, her doctor did tell us to prepare that a shift in eating would be happening at any time. When we went to her one-year check up, she told us that it is normal that in the next few months there will be days during the week that she eats non-stop, and then days where it seems like she won't eat anything. She said it is best to look at the eating intake over the course of a week, versus by the day in order to understand if they're getting enough. She also said that as long as they are eating at least one-tablespoon per meal x their chronological age on the days where we are worried they aren't eating (i.e. one year old needs one-tbsp per meal and 18 month old need 1.5 tbsp per meal) that they are getting enough and not to worry.

So, maybe what your referencing is the same thing our doctor reference?

Whenever my daughters are sick, they just don't want to eat much at all. So we've just taken the "okay, when they're sick, just let them eat whatever they're interested in" and we make sure we have things like bananas, graham crackers, yogurt, etc. readily available for when the mood strikes them. There have always been things like that they'd eat even when they're sick.

If you haven't already, you might double check with the dr. on the ear infection. None of my daughters ear infections ever got better without antibiotics.

Good luck!

I think kids just go through phases when they aren't that hungry, it is okay, his body will regulate itself. I will say that if ear infections are a problem, try cutting out cow's milk. Actually, it is a myth that cow's milk has any nutritional value. I thought that sounded silly, I mean, we learn from when we are very young that dairy products are healthy. You might check out a book called The China Study, the Columbus libraries have it. We are not feeding our son any dairy and he is thriving. I know several women whose children had bad allergies and they cut out dairy and teh allergies went away within weeks. Pediatritians (and doctors in general) get very little nutrition training in med school so s/he probably won't be very knowledgeable about the subject. Anyways, I hope i don't sound preachy, you can take the advice or leave it, but it might be worth a little research. Good luck to you!
Cheers
P.

I haven't read other replies here, but almost all toddlers start eating a wide variety of foods and then get picky around 14-15 months. I've been told that this is when their taste buds grow in massive numbers so they're more aware of the taste. Also remember that it takes around 7 times of trying before a child even decides for sure whether or not they like the food. Just keep offering and give them great praise when they try new foods, even if they don't like them. Good luck!

sickness does that to kids sometimes, i wouldn't worry unless if he has an ear infection.

he could also be getting teeth, that makes it hurt to eat. try yogurt and soft foods.

D.,
Hi! It's been my experience with my own two as well as the myriad of children I've cared for, that they won't go hungry : ) If he's avoiding eating there is probably a very minor underlying issue i.e. a little leftover jaw pain from the ear infection (it can hurt in your gums!!) or he may have just come off a growth spurt and his body just doesn't need it right now. Now of course, if it keeps up for a week or more, a call (and perhaps visit) to the doctor's office would be prudent. Just keep offering small portions very often, and try to avoid anything with sugar, even juice. Any sugar at all makes kiddos feel very full very fast and that's counter-productive to you right now : ) Good luck!!!
T.

D.,

My son is 16 months old and at least once a month, since he was 13 months old, he goes through a couple days like that. Normally, he eats a lot. At first I was a little worried about him. But the same thing happens, he will drink milk and water all day long and hardly eat anything. I am not sure why, but he seems to be okay. One thing I have noticed is that if I give him a spoon or fork and let him eat himself, he will eat a little more for me during these periods. I hope you are giving him soy or almond milk. It will help him recover from the ear infection faster. Shaklee has a healthy meal shake. I have been adding that to my sons milk when he goes through this. It is a great way for him to get extra nutrients and a meal in, but he thinks he is drinking milk. If you would like more info please check out my website www.shaklee.net/gemsoffire or contact me personally.
I am a first time mom of a 16 month old! Married for 4 years. I am a work at home mom that teaches and trains people how to live healthier lives, while getting rid of toxins in the home and saving the planet and the pocket book.

My son seems to always do that when he is teething. But he will eat soft foods like yougurt, cheese, bread, pasta etc but refuse most other things.

Good luck!