My son- to be 4 yrs makes me nervous, when it comes to meal time. He has always been a difficult kid -when it comes to eating and drinking. It takes him atleast 1.5 or 2 to finish his meals. And refuses to swalow and chew. I have hired this nanny and he seems to eat by himself when we are not at home- but when he sees us, he wants us to feed him. It is not that i baby him... i yell and shout at him as he just refuses to eat on his own... He knows he needs to eat to grow big and smart. But simply doesn't do it. What should i do?
2006-09-25 08:50:04 · 10 answers · asked by curious mom 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
should i take him into some therapy as he does take a LONG time to eat
2006-09-25 08:57:36 · update #1
Do you have a new baby in the house too?
I have 3 kids (2, 4, 7) My 2 year old....he will go all day without eating. My 4 year old....eats ALL day long! 7 year old.....goes in spurts.
1-stop yelling at him.....this may be making him anxious/nervous...not exactly making anyone want to eat
2-you can not make kids eat/sleep/potty...don't try
3-I have tried setting the timer for my kids.....it has worked
4-If they don't like the menu...they can have cereal.
5-When my non eater does eat...I load him up with calories and protein (peanut butter, whole milk, etc)
Good luck, and don't stress the fam out over it.....that definitely won't help. I have been there and done the yelling....no good results!
2006-09-25 08:59:52 · answer #1 · answered by kellettgal 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds a little like he is trying to manipulate you into feeding him. I have a couple of suggestions. First, just don't give in, try to stay firm with his eating. If it takes him 2 hours, let him sit there for 2 hours, but also let him know that he can't watch a movie or play with his toys for long because it is getting close to bed time. Try not to yell at him because this just makes children more defiant. Also, try to make a game out of it. Try to make eating more fun for him. Ask him what he wants for dinner. If he wants mac & cheese, carrots and crackers, let him eat those things. At least he will be getting food. If he refuses to eat, don't force him. It is one of the worst things parents can do. Children will eat when they are hungry. The last thing that I recommend if you think the problem might be more serious is to talk it over with his pediatrician and see if you need to have an eating and nutrition evaluation for him because maybe he is uncomfortable with eating and maybe he is allergic to something in foods. Good luck. It is really hard but try to offer him healthy snacks... baby carrots, ants on a log (celery with peanut butter and raisins), or string cheese.
2006-09-25 09:01:51 · answer #2 · answered by betterlife_travel 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go see a pediatrician. I have a stubborn 4 yr old boy too, when it comes to eating. He generally shows enthusiasm for stuff he likes, but takes his time doing it, just the same.
I know we all yell and shout as parents...it's a natural reaction because of frustration etc. Try to curb the yelling. I know the moment I stop yelling, my son at least reacts a little less defiantly.
Rewarding him comes to mind too, but... I fear that rewarding your son for something he is supposed to be doing such as eating and drinking is maybe not the best thing because it sets him up to perform instead of doing what should be natural.
The fact that he refuses to swallow or chew when he is around you tells me that his stubborness is out of control. This needs to be addressed by the doctor asap.
2006-09-25 08:59:28 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like he knows how to push your buttons and is doing so. Don't react to it. If you are home for mealtime then give him a window. Don't let him sit at the table for more than 30 minutes or whatever you deem a reasonable amount of time. If he doesn't finish his food in this amount of time take it away. Try again in an hour or two (again whatever you feel to be a reasonable amount of time). When he gets hungry he will eat.
2006-09-25 09:09:17 · answer #4 · answered by OrianasMom 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Make the meals, and have him sit at the table while everyone else eats. If he refuses to eat, ignore it. Do not make him special meals, and do not give him attention for it, and don't allow him to snack between meals. DO NOT feed him!! He will eat eventually. If this is only happening when you are there, it is obvious it is an attention seeking behavior.
You have to stand firm. If he knows he can get you to dance to his music, he will keep playing it. Good luck!
2006-09-25 09:02:05 · answer #5 · answered by Kailey 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He's not going to eat in front of you if all you do is shout at him at the dinner table.
Give him 30 minutes to finish his meal. Even if he only ate a little just take it away. He'll learn that he doesn't have all day to sit and pick at his food and that if he wants to eat he needs to have it eaten before it gets taken away.
2006-09-25 08:57:48 · answer #6 · answered by BeeFree 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Use a reward system. Get star stickers ot whatever kind he wants, and put up a bulletin board. Everytime he finishes his food like a big boy (like his daddy), he'll get a gold star. Once he gets 10 gold stars, then you will take him to Chuck E Cheese or get him a new toy, etc. You can change the reward system to suit your needs, but using a reward system works!
2006-09-25 09:02:29 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I even haven't any clue what it ought to point yet being a guy and understanding different guy's. Us adult men are keen about our penis. As somewhat childrens we wander what the hell our balls are for lol and as childrens we wrestle over whos is more beneficial (sorry if it really is to a lot information). So he ought to easily be attracted to him self and wandering about how his body works. i'd say ask him to quit each and every time and tell him its no longer precise. He ought to bring about case you stay to inform the tale authentic of it.
2016-10-16 02:15:09 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He'll eat if he's hungry enough. Better underweight than over!
2006-09-25 08:57:50 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
smart kid, is he the man of the house, he is not going to starve himself he"ll eat when he's ready ,he already proved it
2006-09-25 08:55:22 · answer #10 · answered by elizabeth_davis28 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋