Toddler on Hunger Strike?

Sounds like a normal 3 year old :-)

Don't make a fuss over it infront of him and especially don't force him to eat. food is not worth fighting over becuase it will lead to bad eating habits for life. as long as you are giving him a multi vitamin, making his calories count with healty nutritional foods, and giving him variety the rest will take care of itself. if you find him getting picky or bored with food you can try getting him involved in making his food even if its spreading the peanut butter on his own bread with kid safe utensils. My daughter is also a front loader of food....good breakfast and then it trickles down to a few bites at afternoon snack and we're lucky to get a bite at dinner.

Good Luck and don't worry :-)

My kiddo is 3 and 34 lbs and 40+". His best meal is breakfast, then we steadily go downhill from there. Our ped's nuse said her kiddo was the same way - so she loaded up his breakfast with as many calories and protein as she could, and then provided him with healthy options for the rest of the day. So that's what I'm doing - he may eat as many as 500 calories at breakfast, and then 100 here and 100 there, and maybe a few bites of dinner and a cup of milk before bed. We've been in this stage for several months now, and his skin is healthy, his hair is healthy, he is physically healthy and active - so I'm not letting it worry me anymore. :)

my doctor always said if they are hungry they will eat. My daughter wouldn't eat if she had to sit still. I would put her food on the coffee table and she would take a bite and run around and she would eat the whole plate within 30min or so...but if he has a sore throat or an ear infection it hurts to eat..there were times that mine wouldn't eat and had no fever and I would go to the dr and sure enough it was an ear infection, that happened twice..I had no idea she had an ear infection.

Also if he is done eating, don't be quick to clear the table...leave it and maybe he will come back to it, with both of mine they just didn't have time to sit. they are 5 and 9 now and they sit and eat just fine so hopefully it won't start any bad habits but whatever works..lol

Good Luck

My kids have never done this but my neices used to do this quite often. They would only eat a bite or two of their food and be done. For them when they got hungry enough they would eat but she wouldn't force them to either. It seemed they would go in spurts, at times eating very little (for many weeks) and other times seeming to clear out the fridge with their eating. My thoughts would be that this is just a phase.

You've gotten great advice, but I want to reassure you too! I could have written that post with both of my kids. They're growing right now and I love that they're eating at every meal, but when they're not...I have to let it go.

My pediatrician says that he's "never lost one to starvation" :-) and that it's far better to let them listen to their bodies than get into obesity issues. It also helps to follow the three-day rule--I try to make sure they get a balanced amount of each food group over three days.

So we serve the good stuff at every meal, we all sit down together (that's not negotiable) and, if they don't like the food, there is one back up alternative (peanut butter sandwich). When they're hungry, they eat--even stuff we thought they didn't "like." And sometimes they say, wow, I like that!

I just try to remember that I don't want this to be a battle. I want eating to be a pleasant, healthy, satisfying experience from them. I want them to maintain their own awareness of their true hunger/craving cues. That's more of the goal than a set amount of calories!

my oldest did this and it drove me crazy. Doctor assured me (and its true) she will eat when shes hungry! Dont cater to his wants, or demands, offer healthy choices and he will eat when he's hungry. You decide what, he decides how much (and "if")

It happens, at least from my experience, other moms may have more for you but my suggestion would be the meals he does eat make sure to pack it in where it counts, getting as much nutritional value as you can in each meal he does in take... we added ensure to my kiddo when he does this and it seems to make a difference.

Hey E.,

I'm no expert, but my advice would be choices, choices, choices. I have a 3 year old boy right now (who's going on 4 soon and still only weighs 30 lbs!) and I honestly think that right now, its a power struggle. He wants to see how much he can get away with when it comes to you and him. When my son started doing this, I started offering for more choices. For example, today i asked my son "what do you want for breakfast" - his answer: "nothing". This is always his answer. Then I go down the list of stuff i know he likes, "do you want toast?" "no", "froot loops" "no", and i keep going until he finally says yes.
Now, of course, there are times when he'll say "no" to everything. In which case I'll just pick something and say, "okay, i'm gonna make you toast then". and i make a big deal out of it. and eventually, he'll say, "no, don't want toast, wan't eggs", or something like that.
its the same with every freakin' meal and snack - except of course, if its a fruit or junk food (which he loves both of, and would probably only eat if it were up to him, lol)

Okay, so I made this really long. My advice to you would be #1) Don't worry about his health or his weight yet. I'm sure he's fine. If you want, give him a multi-vitamin everyday to keep up the good stuff. And #2) Make him think he's going to win the power struggle by allowing him to choose what he wants.

Oh, and when in doubt - give him a reward. Sometimes I get my son to eat all his dinner by saying that at the end of it, he'll get a snack, or a bath. If its something they really love, you'd be surprised at how fast they eat! Good Luck!!!

This is one battle you will never win. Stay out of it. Your job is to provide the food, it is his to eat what he wants. Ignore it, don't make a big deal of it and it will end soon or maybe go on for awhile. Milk might be bothering his stomach. Maybe remmove it for a few days. He is eating well during the early day and that is enough calories for him. Maybe increase his afternoon activities to running, jumping, swimming, biking to increase hunger but to be honest, this soon shall pass.....

He will eat when he is hungry. You are providing healthy foods when he does eat, so I wouldn't worry about him skipping meals.

When my son went through this stage I had him sit at the table with us while we ate, but if he chose not to eat that was okay. It was important that he knew when meal time was and that we eat as a family, but no one is forced to eat. Let your son decide if he wants to eat at meal and snack times and how much to eat. He won't starve himself.

My 1st granddaughter ate so little we were also afraid for her- silly us- she is tall, and slim, w/ no weight problem, 1st violin in high school, bright beautiful( ok so I'm the grandma!)
Just saying your little one knows he body, and he is eating more than ours did- I think he is fine- and why give him and eating problem?
And give him his fluids back or you will mess up his kidneys.
best, k

Mine does this...or rather did this; we advised him that he needed to finish his portion or it was to bed without playing after dinner. May seem harsh, but so far its working. He doesn't pack it in like he used to, but he is at least eating what is first put on his plate. We also found out he had an alternate source of food (relatives and a cereal cupboard w/no child lock) and he was filling up in the afternoon before dinner when he had the chance; I would check to see if your little guy is fed from similar sources ;-). All in all this is probably just a phase and will eventually pass.

This is all normal for a child. My 4yr old son still does this from time to time. He is about 35lbs and about 45 in tall. Sometimes he just wants to gaze eat all day for several days. A child will not starve themselves so as long as the food he is eating is healthy, don't stress over it. Don't force him to eat his food either. It will only cause food issue growing up (over eating, obesity, eating disorders, etc) If he doesn't want to eat his dinner, ask him to at least eat 1 or 2 bites of each thing on his plate and the call it done. I wouldn't worry about supplementing his nutrition with pedi-asure or the like because they are over priced and full of sugar.

Just give him a few days and I'm sure he'll come back to a normal eating routine and then he'll change it up on you again!

Good luck!
S.

It sounds like he has a very good breakfast and a very good snack.
So, as long as he's doing that, you're not in trouble (yet).
Is he pooping regularly? Normally?
Maybe forget the afternoon snack and concentrate on dinner.
Don't push but provide a small amount of whatever you're having . . .
a protein and a veggie. See if he'll eat some of that.
Have you tried asking him if he gets hungry before dinner?
Does he have, maybe, gas, an upset tummy?
Please let us know what you find out when you talk to the doctor.

Seems to be eating a lot. Have you asked your pediatrician?