Toddler Not Interested in Solids

I think you need to speak to his doctor because at this age they should be having milk only 2-3 times a day. There could be something else going on. Does he have any other issues?

I agree with DadOnPurpose-- your son's preference for milk only can be curbed.

Personally, from what you are describing, I do not believe that a milk-only diet is appropriate for a child this age. He needs a variety of foods, of fruits and veggies for fiber and the nutrients they so well provide. He's also not eating enough to stay full-- milk is full of sugars and quickly metabolized.

From my experience, I think you really need to discuss this with your pediatrician and your son needs you to provide discipline in this area. Only eating a few bites and then fussing for milk could mean that you are having a problem being the authority with his food (I don't force kids to eat anything-- and I mean anything--- but I will insist that they do not fill up on milk) -- or if your son has another hidden issue which needs some attention. However, I am not sure a forum can really provide the answer to this question.

When my DD didn't sleep at night, we gave her a pre-bedtime snack. That kept her asleep through the night. You can also refuse the bottle at night and help him soothe in other ways. I would offer water during meals and give him finger foods to choose from - cut up cheese, cheerios, blueberries, cut up hot dog, etc. See what he will eat. Offer him milk only a few times a day. He can have water any other time he wants. My DD is a peanut, so I have no idea if that's a huge kid or not, but your pediatrician can tell you. He or she can also help you with feeding ideas and whether or not this is a food or texture aversion that needs to be addressed.

I've been having similar problems with my 16 month old and we spent about an hour with a pediatric dietician a few weeks ago, and while we still have a ways to go, it IS getting better. It turned out that he was getting too many liquids and too many calories from his bottle and sippy cups. I would talk to your doc. I don't know if he is too big or not, you didn't say how tall he is. My guy is 33.5#s and about 35 inches tall. He is not even pudgy anywhere except for his thighs. Oh, the dietician was at the peds office, so maybe see if yours has one. It was wonderful.

This is something to discuss with your pediatrician. My son had weight issues...he was underweight. Our kiddo wasn't a particularly picky eater, but he LOVED milk. He'd drink it all day if we let him. His pediatrician strictly limited the amount of milk he was allowed. He said kids will drink milk and feel full and then want more milk later, it's a never ending cycle that limits their diet. Our pediatrician strictly limited my son to 16 oz of milk a day. Other than that he wanted him on a high calorie, high fat diet of solids. We did have some tantrums over milk, but it didn't take our son long to realize that he was not getting his way.

I wouldn't necessarily stress about an overweight toddler, especially at 28lbs. But I would worry about him getting all he needs. My kids were not good sleepers, but by 18 months, we were not waking for feedings every two to three hours! Is he not interested in eating because you give in and give him milk and he knows you will cave?? Or is he not interested in eating because of a sensory or developmental issue?? Please start limiting his milk intake and talk to your pediatrician ASAP.

I truly believe that the full cream may just be too much for his system to digest. He doesn't need any food because his tummy is still trying to digest his milk fats. Whole vitamin D milk is fine for kids your son's age. In a few months when he's 2 he could even go down to 2% milk. I would still give him the milk you are giving but try to make sure to keep offering him other foods. Even if he takes a few bites he is getting some different types of tastes in his mouth.

Just stop offering or allowing him to have the bottle. He should be bottle broke by this time anyway. He wakes throughout the night because he's hungry because he's not eating.

Sit him in his high chair and introduce him to the concept of sitting down to meals. If he doesn't want to eat, okay, but no milk. Only one healthy snack, not milk, between each meal. At some point, he WILL eat. Also, when they first start eating solids, it doesn't take much to fill him up so if he will eat 4 - 6 bites of something, that's actually really good. If he eats that much, go ahead and give him a small sippy cup of milk - NOT A BOTTLE! Also, I would really try VERY HARD to get him to eat just a bit of cereal before he goes to bed to try to keep him fuller longer.

Good luck! Just remember, he can't drink milk all day unless you give it to him!

I agree about taking away the milk during the night, and that seems like a good place to start. Both my kids were breastfed well into toddlerhood (son weaned at 2.5 and my daughter is currently nursing at 2y 10m), but my son had a bottle of water in his crib until around 18mo when we switched to a sippy cup. My daughter never took a bottle, so she went straight to a sippy after night weaning. Start by changing his milk bottle to a water sippy.

You'll need to be firm and consistent, but cutting out all the night-drinking (much like night-weaning) will hopefully encourage more daytime eating. Whether the changers are done cold-turkey or more gradually with LOTS of talking about it and preparing for "the big day" is really up to you and how your child responds to different situations.

In terms of cow's milk, humans don't need cow's milk to survive, and studies are finding that dairy really isn't as good for us as we previously thought. It's actually responsible for many food allergies and sensitivities. Yes, I love my skim milk, especially with cookies or cereal or in the morning with my bagel, and I also love yogurt and cheese, etc. However, I also know that there are other ways to get the vitamins and nutrients our bodies need :)

Part of it is offering him new foods often and trying over and over, and 3-4 bites may be all he needs for now. Try having apple slices or grapes or cucumber slices or baby carrots out for him to snack on all day. Something he can just grab and go. It can take upwards of 10 times of offering a food before he develops a taste for the food, so try not to get discouraged when he continues to reject certain things. Offer healthy fruits and veggies that are an array of colors, meats and whole grains. Even cereals can be healthy (and a fun way to get milk!) if you pay attention to how much sugar is in them.

Don't worry too much about his weight as long as he's active; unless his pediatrician seems to have a worry. Even then, my son's pediatrician told me he was "overweight" at age 4 when all I saw was a thin, muscular, athletic, active boy!! Keep him active, keep offering solids, and decrease his milk... that would be my recommendation :)

Have you tried putting water in the bottle? I would try that, if he fusses about it don't give in. I did that with my 3 year old.

My son was 25 lbs at 1 yr.
He was 9 1.5 oz at birth, so at 1 yr 25 lbs was a pretty good weight for him.
They roughly triple their birth weight in one year and then never again do they gain weight like they did that first year.
Once they start walking, the weight gain REALLY starts slowing down.
We kept the whole milk till 2 yrs old, then did %2 till 3 yrs, then we switched to %1 and there we stayed (because no one can stand skim milk in our house).
You can start watering down his milk.
Also, don't give him milk before meals or snacks - he can have it after he's eaten something else.
Give him nothing but water at night.
Milk sitting on his teeth/in his mouth as he sleeps will give him cavities.
He will have a growth spurt sooner or later and then his appetite will surge.
Just make sure he has healthy food choices available.
Try him on mashed potatoes (or sweet potatoes) and also remember his stomach is only as big as his fist - so really it might not take more than a few bites to fill him up.

I have almost 3 year old twin boys. One eats and the other not so much. He loves milk so I use raw, full fat cow's milk. It's loaded with all of the enzymes and nutrients since it isn't processed. You can certainly add a flavored protien powder for extra nutrition. I do worry sometimes, but like yours, he is healthy. I just give him what he does like, such as carrots, peppers and mac & cheese (I try to use the organic varieties). Did I mention he has no problems with sweets! Go figure. Lastly, try to look at a stretch of time, such as how did he do this week overall, rather than one day.