Terrible Twos? - Pasadena,CA

Really... he won't starve himself! Yes, he is testing his boundaries.

While it may seem rigid or strict, I started a policy with my kids early on that they didn't have to eat what I cooked for a meal... however, they did not get any snacks until the next meal. They did not have the option of a sandwich, cereal or healthy "snacks".

After a few times of being "hungry" for a few hours, they did learn to eat what I cooked... and.. I didn't cook really strange items.... I usually had a meat, starch, and veggie, frequently casseroles..... rarely did they refuse to eat anything. They often ate most of the items, but decided they didn't "like" something they had willingly eaten the week before.

All of my kids quickly learned to eat what I supplied, and were willing to try new foods when we were eating at other places.

I decided at an early point that I was not a "short order" cook... I cooked things I thought my hubby would like to eat, and they learned to eat what I cooked.

Be sure to limit snacking between meals, and also watch what he is drinking... if he is drinking a lot of milk and juice between meals, that may be filling him up, also.... yes, milk and juice are healthy, but not to the exclusion of healthy foods.

However, I didn't make them eat the refused meal the next meal....

Children this age do like to have control over their eating. It makes sense. There isn't much else they can have authority over, but this is the one thing no one can really make them do.

However, all other things being equal, children *will* eat when they're really hungry! A hungry child will forget about the power game for a bit.

Handle this with calm and humor. If Sonny won't eat any more, he's through with the meal. Take the food away. Don't give him anything else until snack time (you can move it up a bit if you're a bit worried, but don't tell him that). Make sure that what he is offered is nutritious, so that even if he takes only a couple of bites he's still ingesting something good for him.

The less you make a deal out of it, the less a battle it will be. As long as your boy is looking well and playing well, he's doing all right. Check with your doctor if you get really worried.

I move that we stop calling this age the "terrible twos" and call it the "terrific twos." Maybe these challenges will get over with faster! :^)

My oldest son is almost 2. He is already going though the terrible twos and does exactly what you are saying. lol. He eats when he wants and I let him snack off my plate during the day. Don't worry about anything. If you fear malnutrition the do like one of the other moms said and give him a multi vitamin lol. Good luck, everything will be fine.

try fixing a plate for yourself and then go sit on the couch..and let him come and be curious about it..my son used to do what you're describing..so i would just make myself some food..would NOT let him snack before and then he would always get a kick out of stealing food from my plate.

good luck i hope he starts eating!

xo

D.

I PROMISE he will not suffer from malnutrition. If you're really worried give him a multi vitamin. Make sure snacks are very healthy and small portions, only one or two during the day at a time when you decide, not close to a meal. He's probably snacking or drinking enough to keep him from truly getting hungry. At dinner give him tiny portions, not sure why that works so well but it does. Tell him he must sit at the dinner table while you eat, and chat with his parents, but he does not need to eat. Dont make this a big issue. before bed give him healthy food, then it becomes a way to delay bedtime. Stop pushing food for a month and see if the problem goes away completely!

What will he eat or drink?
Give him that.
He will not starve.
Don't worry.
Pick your battles.

Is he growing? How is his weight for his frame? Have you figured out what he likes? My mother worried about me, but I grew out of it, and so will he. Try to limit snacks or at least unhealthy ones. Give him vitamins too, if possible, so that at least he'll get some nutrients that way. Also, activity and sunshine can help to increase his appetite. Good luck.

We never made the kids eat, but we enforced all table manners with discipline. For instance, they couldn't throw food or tantrum, but they didn't have to eat either. They just had to sit well at the table. I did feed them snacks still at 2 1/2 though to ensure they still slept through the night. But as they got up to three, we just made them wait until next meal to eat. No, he won't starve himself.
Toddlers have control over tons of stuff, and they explore all day. Some parents set NO boundaries at this age, so don't worry about stifling his independence or starving him if you decide to enforce eating what you make. And there's no shame in feeding him what he'll eat either, as long as you're staying on top of the behavior stuff which gets worse if not checked.
By leaving it and watching to see if he eats, you're sort of expecting him to eat "right that minute". If he's not hungry, he won't. That's OK. He wont' starve himself.