2 year old toddler is not chewing food properly and likes his milk bottle but don't drink any. any help?

Question

He has just turned 2.He never been a good eater. But now i am getting frustrated when i see other kids eating double the amount he eats and sometimes he eats nothing at all. I have distract him most of the times to eat something. And sometime he stores the food in his mouth and spit afterwards. With his milk bottle, he kept in his mouth and don't drink any milk. just use as a dummy but he never used a dummy when he was a baby. Any help will be appreciated.

Answer 1

First and foremost, get rid of the bottle!!! That is one step closer to him being a "big boy". As for the eating, kids will eat when they are hungry. If you find hes just eating small amounts and what would normally be 3 meals a day, try offering him various nutricious snacks throughout the day. Apple slices or carrots or something. Kids stomachs are small. So snacking throughout the day will help. BUT NO MORE BOTTLE hes been on that atleast a year too long!

Answer 2

You definitely need to bring your concerns to the Pediatrician. When a child can't chew properly and stores his food in his cheeks. it could indicate an oral-motor problem. You might think this is jumping the gun; but it's really not. I'd also contact your Early Intervention office and have your son evaluated by a Speech/Language Pathologist (who works with oral-motor difficulties as well as speech problems) or an Occupational Therapist (who also works with OM difficulties as it's a fine mortor skill). I don't like sounding like an alarmist, and I'm certainly not trying to scare you. But given the fact that he has a chewing problem, isn't really drinking much and is storing his food, it worries me that he may also have a swallowing difficulty. This sounds to me a bit more troubling than the typical "picky" two year old.

I wouldn't force him to be off the bottle right now either. If he's having trouble swallowing; a sippy cup might be too difficult for him to master since it allows liquids to flow more freely and quickly than a bottle does. While having a bottle at 2 isn't "socially" acceptable anymore, there are medical reasons that some children continue to use them past that "socially acceptable" age. My daughter was one of them. Her nutrition was much more important than the method it came from.

You might want to also consider seeking out a Developmental Pediatrician who is more specialized in children's development. They could refer you to other specialists if it's deemed necessary.

If you have a feeling that your son is having problems swallowing, you should ask for him to have a swallow study done. It's a pretty simple test where they can detect exactly what happens while someone is swallowing.

I wish you the best of luck finding answers for your son. I hope he turns out to be ok. I will keep him in my prayers.

Answer 3

Start restricting the "bottle" to mealtimes only. And at two and a half, baby really should be drinking from a cup. If your culture doesn't approve of depriving babies like that, don't worry. (-: Very few school children need to bring the bottle to school! Offer yummy finger foods such as wholewheat crackers, juice gelatin (gelatin made with 100 percent real fruit juice and cut into small cubes), small cubes of cheese, cucumbers, carrots, etc. Eat with the baby, and make it look like fun. Give the baby a small dish of food that the family eats, and let baby feed himself/herself. (-: And yes, be prepared to take a shower after every meal for the first month or so. It's OK!!! Give the baby water in the bottle if you don't want to stop the bottle right now. (For snacks and at bedtime.) The bottle may look less attractive with plain water in it. Check with your doctor for more hints, and to see if something is actually wrong. If the baby is physically healthy, you may be in for a power struggle for a few days (or weeks), but as long as you make food fun, and end the meal when food is no longer fun, and don't feed outside scheduled times, baby will be eating like a grown-up soon!

Answer 4

Could he be teething? My 2yr old getting his back teeth and he chews a lot on his dummy. he also off his food at this time and he usually eats loads!!

Some kids just go through phases of doing things they never done before. dont worry about it unless it goes on a while. My niece is 3 1/2 and has started chewing her fingers or her dolls dummies and she never had dummy or sucked her fingers before.she also will only take milk from a bottle at night. she doesnt take it during day or have it in cereal or eat cheese or yoghurt so health visitor says just to give her it and only to worry if she still like that when going to school. just give it time.
hope this helps.

Answer 5

I took my son off the bottle at 10 mths.. Gave him a sippy cup with vitamin d milk in it, and he never even wanted the bottle back. That is probably your problem.. Take that bottle away. He is way to old for it.. And it's not good for him... Maybe after that he'll learn that he has to eat big boy food..

Answer 6

how much he eats is not nearly as important as what he eats. Make sure that you offer him only healthy foods, ecspecially nutrient dense, protein rich foods. if he isn't going to eat much you need to make sure he's getting all of his nutrition from the little he will eat. There is no room for junk food with your sons eating habits!

try a reward system, for each new food he trys maybe he can enjoy a special privlege or activity, or try a star chart. put a sticker up for each new food he trys and when he's collected a certain amount of stickers he gets a prize then. with this method, just trying it counts, even if he doesn't eat it all. The whole point is to introduce him to new tastes and get him excited about eating. Also remember that kids pick up on yyour moods, so if you seem frustrated or panicky over his eating habits, he will get stressed and eat less. keep an upbeat and positive attitude at meal times, even when you have to fake, it get excited over dinner! And even while encouraging him to try new foods, still offer him foods you know he will eat, but try and vary them as much as possible to get him different nutrients.

Get him off of the bottle! At 2, he should be on a sippy or trainor cup, and if you can deal with spills at least at first, some kids can even handle a small adult cup. my 2yr.old
only uses sippy cups for car rides and visits to other houses and rarely makes a mess anymore.

I would make sure you talk to his pediatrition though, just to rule out any issues such as acid reflux which may make eating uncomfortable and painfull and could explain his eating habits too. The doctor can also reccomend a kids multi vitamen to make up for any lack of vitamens due to poor eating habits. Also take him to a dentist, look around for one who takes kids that young< to rule out anything wrong with his teeth that is cuasing pain when he chews.

Answer 7

2 is way to old for a bottle.it might actually be the cause of him not eating.he may know that he doesn't have to eat because hes going to get that bottle.2 year olds are usually fussy eaters anyways.if hes fine physically then i wouldn't worry hes not going to starve himself.and never compare your child to others cause children develop at different stages.just take away the bottle and give it time.

Answer 8

have him help prepare what he eats. kids like to eat what they make themselves. try a sippy cup a bottle after one is not good. he will be excited to drink out of a big boy cup. Kids also like to dip. apples and peanut butter is a good way for him to get the protien that he needs through out the day. good luck.

Answer 9

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