My 2 1/2 yr old rarely wants to eat very much supper......?

Question

We vary our meals. She has her favourites, but I don't always want to make the same thing. I try to make sure she doesn't snack before supper so she is actually hungry at that time. Tonight it is very close to bed time and she is hungry so I've given her some apple sauce, which she loves and some cheese and crackers. I keep her snacks healthy. I don't want to make her go to bed hungry, I don't think that is condusive to a happy bed time. Is what we are doing wrong? What can I do to make it better at supper time?

Answer 1

There is nothing you are doing wrong. Kids just do that sometimes. They'll eat when they are hungry. It doesn't get better either...lol. I have a 5 yr old and a 2 yr old. Same thing. Some days they eat me out of house and home and other days they just nibble all day. It's just them being kids. Just make sure and feed her something good when she is hungry. You are doing a great job.

Answer 2

We have this problem often. We have a 3 year old and a 4.5 year old. There are two guiding principles that we go by, which our pediatrician told us.

First, that if you give them a lot of variety, a lot of healthy choices, then they will eat. If they don't want steak, or peas, ask them if they want some bread with peanut butter (or cream cheese), or some melon - completely different foods. These are just examples of course. But when we look back over the week, we can see that they have eaten a wide variety of foods - but they seldom eat the variety that I do in one day.

Second, that if they eat 3 tablespoons of food that they have eaten a decent amount. Well, if you look at 3 tbs of food it isn't very much at all to an adult! But to a small child, it is apparently enough for some meals.

Unfortunately, these are contrary to what many people believe. 1) Its ok for your toddler to eat something different than you do for dinner. I would not say the same for a 5 or 7 year old. But for a 2.5 year old, it is ok. Don't subject your toddler to big kid rules too early.
2) that eating a lot at every meal is required. Every knowledgable person I have talked to has told me that kids will not starve themselves. They eat what they need and we don't need to worry so much.

Of course, if the kids are waiting for snack foods or dessert, then, thats a different problem. But, you seem to have that angle covered. :)

I have to tell you, that the desire to "top off the tank" before bed doesn't seem to be much related to meals in our house. Just tonight I gave my daughter some fresh cherries before we started the bedtime routine (I pitted them). Yet she had really eaten adequately at dinner - a lot more than 3 tablespoons, maybe more like 12 tbs of food! I think on this note you just have to "go with the flow" and provide something healthy before bed.

Answer 3

You're feeding her a snack, she is in control of the situation and has WON. It doesn't matter how healthy the snacks are, if she doesn't WANT to eat what you put on the table she KNOWS she won't have to because eventually YOU will give her what she wants. I suggest you stop letting her have snacks before bedtime..YES make her go to bed hungry. She won't starve and while she might sniffle and cry a bit because she thinks she is hungry she'll go to sleep...and the next evening at dinner time she will eat dinner.

Answer 4

kids are like that. one week my son will eat eat eat all the time, the next he wont want nothing hardly for days. they know when they are hungry or not. just as long as when she does eat it is healthy and she is at a normal weight range. just have some quick easy healthy snacks around like what u said apple sauce and give her that when the nights come when she dont eat much supper but now shes hungry. i know its hard, but id rather my kid eat when they are hungry then force them to eat all the time when they arnt and them become huge. when u are out to eat and she dont feel like eating then take it home. she can eat it later. my son will sometimes say he isnt hungry but he wants desert. I say no until he eats healthy real food. dont give in to that. of couse they want desert lol. ur doing fine. there is no rule book to raiseing kids and u are doing great. dont let anyone tell u otherwise. there is no perfect parent or child. everyone is different.good luck and God Bless

Answer 5

My son is 3 and has been doing the same thing on and off for months. For a few weeks, he'll live on milk, chewing gum, and maybe a couple of noodles per day. The first time this stage rolled around, I even took him to the doctor because I was afraid he'd waste away. She told me to just wait it out. Then all of a sudden, for a few weeks, he ate everything in sight. I think it has to do with growth cycles, but that's just my impression of it. He doesn't lose weight, so his body must just not need that many calories during "Don't Eat Month." Give it some time and she'll be eating again.

Answer 6

Try feeding her earlier. At 2 1/2, if I didn't feed my son before 6:30, he would be too tired to eat, no matter how hungry he was.

Answer 7

Hon don't worry about it, a toddler needs to eat as much as they want and no more. Remember that their stomach is only as big as their fist and fills very quicky. A toddler portion size is about a fourth of an adults. If it really worries you limit her sugary drinks and milk and talk to her pediatrician, but as long as she is healthy and gaining weight, let it wait a while before you make dinner a heavy meal.

Answer 8

as long as she is eatting, it's probably ok. And since she is such a picky eatter, maybe you could set aside something she does like for when you cook something she won't eat. Or you could tell her that ( for example) green beans are alien fingers or something like that.
To make it silly and to get her mind off the fact that there's green beans on her plate, Hope it all works out....