whats wrong with my toddler?

Question

i have a 23month old, 2 next month and i have noticed within the last fortnight he hasnt been himself.

i put his tea on table and i sit down with him to encourage him to eat but he sits there winging, i'd firmly ask him not to cry and to eat up and he goes hysterical. i've tried not saying anything to him but he still cries and dont know why, hes not uncomfortable or anything.

i have done a foodchart as i can see how much hes eating a day and have gave him stars, he knows if he does well at the end of the week, i take him out and get him a toy for being good.

he has become very wingey throughout the day and i dont know why, ive taking him to docs and theres nothing wrong with him,. i play with him, read him books, we make things such as cakes, playdough, etc. he gets attention but hes not spoilt.

can anyone tell me what is wrong with him? is it time to change his routene? i dont know what to do as im starting to get really stressed but dont show it infront of him

Answer 1

You sound like me!!!

My little girl did exactly the same when she was that age, she's now 3. I took her to the docs as well thinking her MMR had given her autism!! They told me that she was fine and that it was just the 'terrible twos'.

What we did at meal times was that we all sat down together and ate the same thing (more or less) and didn't mention how much she hadn't eaten, but went to town with the praise when she did.

Its hard but it does pass, she ate better if I was eating too.
Good Luck and you have my sympathy

Answer 2

My son started acting this way when he was 2 and now 3 it's still a fit to get him to sit down and eat at dinner. My niece also did the same thing, she's 3. A lot of children at this age struggle with their eating habits. Your doing the right things. I find that if TV is off and were all eating together so will he, but that works for us. I find that giving small meals through out the day will keep him full and healthy. He loves fruit, salad, chicken, veg's. So as long as he's getting those through out the day i don't always worry when he wont sit down through the entire meal. He has way too much energy. Remember your boy is only 2 and discovering everything around him. It's a phase we have all been through...it will pass.
If your too worried try Pediasure.

Answer 3

Hi, i have two children, one of which is 3 and i know exactly what your going through. They are just after attention, any attention is good attention to a child. (even bad) all i can advise is for you to make his dinner, - try to make it look as fun as possible by making it into a smiley face or something - put it infront of him, tell him how lovely it looks, point out the smiley face etc, then you sit down for yours (or do the dishes or something). Let him eat it by himself..no matter how much mess he is making with his hands, or on the floor..Try not to shout or get mad with him, or keep saying eat your dinner, just ignore him and whatever he eats, praise him for, when you have finished, if he still showing no signs of eating it, ask him if he has finished, if he says yes..or doesnt answer, just take the plate away and let him play. Then if he starts asking for something to eat later on in the day, before his next meal is due, give him a banana or something else light..no treats though..then when it comes to his next meal, he should be hungry enough to eat it all, but make sure you do the same again, dont give him any other attention except praise...also remember, if he doesnt eat his dinner, no pudding! lol

Answer 4

first off chill mike!!!
really, if u exhibit any anxiety at all, a child of that age will
pick up on it in a flash.
if he thinks he's gor u round his little finger he will do it all the more!
It is perfectly normal
that brings me to 2nd point there is 0 wrong with him.
again, if u transmit that to him it will have a negative effect.
try to make sure the pre-meal routine is calm and maybe even
slightly perfunctory.
my first had an eating disorder.
not only is he bigger than me at 15
he is almost as good looking!! LOL!!!!!

with children always think ahead and be positive.
what is a fault today may well be gone next year and forgotten.

looks like as they said quite rightly the onset of terrible 2's
(tell us about it i hear them cry!!!)
wait for
a) the fingers down the throat?
b) the first tantrum in the supermarket
c) the words "NO, I WON'T!"
if u had had a girl, she might also be saying that when she gets to 12!!!!

good luck!

Answer 5

What's wrong with your toddler? I say nothing. He sounds perfectly normal. Welcome to the "terrible two's". Now is the time to set your boundaries and be consistant. Don't let the crocodile tears make you give him his way. Just continue to be loving as it sounds like you are and have a firm set of rules for him. He will eventually learn that the crying game wont work and will give it up if you dont reward him by giving in. Good luck. Enjoy. He will be grown before you know it!

oh...also... most 2 yr olds dont eat too much. I wouldnt worry. as long as what you are giving him is healthy food, he will be fine. They go through fussy stages.

Answer 6

Twos can be a tough time but I don't agree that they are "terrible twos". He could just be adjusting to the world. He is starting to grasp that he has some control and perhaps is exerting it at meal times. Also, my son at 2 drank a LOT. He drank juice and milk all the time. When my ped. told me to cut down the fluids his appetite picked up.

Another possibility is a slow down in growth. Kids will most always eat when they are hungry. My son eats tons of food when he is having a growth spurt then just picks at other times.

Please don't make food a big issue. I think you will find that 2s are terrific.

Answer 7

It's called the "terrible twos". Which become the sucky threes and the frustrating fours....There's nothing wrong with him at all - it's normal.
He's just coming into his own personality - it comes with better awareness of himself as an individual and he's doing a lot of testing of you to see what he can get away with and what he can't. You need to be patient and consistent. And don't push the food issue on him - kids tend to be finicky eaters in general and he'll eat when he eats - just keep encouraging nutritious foods.

Answer 8

Sounds like a lot of toddlers that I know. He is now old enough and clever enough to know that he can wrap you round his little finger if he gets it right. The key is to quickly teach him that you are not that kind of mother. Have a routine and stick to it every day. when he cries, if he is not hurt or hungry etc then let him cry. He just wants his own way and he needs to know that you are the adult, if he does not learn this early enough then as he gets older it will harder and harder. It may sound harsh but helping him to know that there are boundaries and rules is the best lesson to teach any child if you don't want them ending up with an asbo!

Answer 9

I sounds like he is just going into ther "Terrible Twos". If the doctor said everthing is fine, then I wouldn't worry.

At this age, a number of kids figure out that they are not in control of much, but a few things they can control are saying no and refusing to cooperate.

He will grow out of this stage eventually.

p.s. - just because it is called Terrible Two's, that does not mean it will be over by the time he is three. It may be, but not usually.

Answer 10

A child will only eat when hungry, they dont starve themselves. Do you eat your meals with him? try giving him a big boy plate and cutlery it worked with my son. I also made funny faces out of his food and ate the same foods as him. Try not to put pressure on him to eat as this will have the reverse affect you are wanting, would you eat your dinner if someone tried to force you? He probably gets whingey because he knows that you will start pushing him, just relax, every mouth full he has praise him say how much of a good boy he is. If you still have concerns after this then a word with your health visitor wouldnt hurt.