Help.getting son age 5 to eat?

Question

I have a 5 yr old that eats very little and very picky.peanut butter crackers,hotdogs,green beans,carrots,corn,hamburgers,arer about all I can get him to eat.and the theory about if they wont eat,give it again later they will eventually eat it.WIll my little guy wont.I have battled anerxia for years and was only eatting 1 time a week,weighed 79 lbs when I was 6 months preg.thats when I realized I was preg.hubby says I just wont make him eat,but with my not eatting while preg I feel has a lot to do with it,what can I do?

eddited to add......son has always been like this on his eatting,its not just an age issue. and I tried the ,not fight they will eventualy eat.he wont he has gone a week on 3 crackers.
he doesnt get treats unless its fruit/veggies when he wont,but he cant in a healthy way live on hotdogs,ketchup and crackers.

Answer 1

I have a 5 year old boy too so I know how hard it can be to get them to eat as it is and I can imagine that in your case having your aneroxia problems would be just making your anxiety levels on the subject so much worse.

If you havn't already, take your son to see a Peadeatrician. They will asses your boy physically and mentally and can give you advice on how to deal with just about any problems to do with children.

In the meantime, try not to worry too much, it's normal for kids that age and they will eat when they are hungry.

At the same time, you have to somehow put the anorexia issues you have behind you completely. Anorexia is a mental health problem and as with any other mental, physical, emotional condition, it may end up having a negative impact on your child in some way. So do it for him.

Answer 2

I have had picky children myself! First, it DOES happen around certain ages. All of mine went through that stage. My 5 year old is going through something similar now...where most everything he says is "yucky". This is what I do/have done and what my children's pediatrician has suggested.
First..these suggestions are if your son is growing properly. If he is staying on track on his growth chart and there isn't a concern by his doctor then this is what has worked for me.
1. If my kids don't eat what they are offered for meals well, NO DESSERT! If they eat good, they ARE allowed a dessert sometimes, but not always. If they don't eat well at a meal, NO SNACK in between, unless it is vegetables or fruit.
2. I offer them healthy food. They get a variety of things on their plate. They eat what they will eat, and I don't fight with them. Their pediatrician always emphasized that a meal should not be a battle ground. Let them eat what they want ( as long as choices are healthy) and then don't let them have any junk if they don't.
My oldest is 13 and he used to seem to never eat ANYTHING. Now, I can't get him to STOP! He eats almost everything and then some! My middle boy is 10, and he also went through that stage where he didn't want to eat hardly anything, but now he has gotten a lot better and eats a much better variety. As I said above, my youngest is NOW starting to go through that, when he has always been a very good eater till now.
With your history with anorexia, you may put an OVER emphasis on food, which could be bad in the long run. Just try and relax with your son. Don't fight with him or push him or try to force him to eat. Give him healthy and nutritious options and let him choose how much of what he eats.


Add.: You may need to talk to his Ped. about supplements. My middle boy fell off of his growth chart at about a year old..right about the time I quit nursing him. The Dr. was concerned enough that they had him on some really high calorie shakes called skandi shakes. With a glass of milk, they were 800 calories each. This was given him until he was back up to the 20% in weight. He has always been small and not eaten very much, but he also has some other minor health problems such as asthma and allergies. He IS getting a lot better about eating, at 10, but he is still pretty small. He HAS continued to follow his growth curve though, even going from the 20% to now the 35% in weight.
If your sons ped. is concerned about his growth or his weight, then they need to get your son on some sort of supplementation. Maybe seeing a nutritionist or a dietician would be the next logical step? I would talk to his Dr. about your concerns and see what the next step would be, if anything.

Answer 3

It has nothing to do with you not eating whilst pregnant. It is simply a phase that all children at this age seem to go through. Try a reward system, that might work. For example, a sticker on a chart when he eats a new food and when he gets 10 stickers he gets a treat. If you are really worried, take him to the family doctor whoi might have some other ideas. Good luck!

Answer 4

Like hubby said.. Make him eat. If you seat him at a table and tell him you wont move from here until you finish it, eventually he will. First couple of weeks he might stay there for hours but later on he will learn to eat everything otherwise he wont move from the table. You need to be strict. It worked for me. Good luck

Answer 5

Take him to the Dr., there is medicine that stimulates his appetite, my brother was on the medicine and it worked for him. I also think that the food issue is a control issue, and a way to get extra attention from you and your husband. Go to therapy to resolve your and your sons issues. Best Wishes!

Answer 6

i agree that ur problem may have something to do with his eating but idk little kids like having fun so make food fun u should think of a little eating game good luck =]