5 year old with a bizarre eating issue?

Question

My 5 year old daughter is normal weight for her height(90 percentile) but she never eats a meal. She will eat a little bit of food and then say she is full. SO much that she cries and begs me not to make her eat anymore. Then 10 minutes later she is begging for food again. I have been taking the hard line about this and making her eat her dinner or she gets nothing else, but I feel like I am making my kid starve or something. She is not losing any weight. She does this at every meal without fail. I have a doctor appointment coming up on Wednesday but wanted to get others perspectives on this. Do you think this is really a physical issue, or is it psychological? She has been doing this since mid August.

Answer 1

Well it may not be exactly bizarre but in our family it's darned annoying. My daughter (10) does this too. To some extent it's not a bad habit but she needs to learn not to eat every minute of every day.

Our rule is you can come back to the table once but when daddy & I are done the food gets put away.
Then they can either have a healthy dessert (yogurt, fruit, etc.) or a bedtime snack (string cheese, piece of bread). Getting her to eat more protein will curb any cravings and complex carbs will keep her full longer.

Answer 2

Her stomach is a muscle that stretches to make room for the size meal she is used to eating. If she has always eaten little toddler sized meals her stomach will be full, very full, very quickly.

I would slow her down at meal time, break it up so that instead of sitting for 15 minutes and eating a lot she eats a little bit here and there for 45 minutes, so theres more in her stomach at one time and for longer periods of time.

You know how at christmas and thanksgiving you all sit around and eat a bunch of mega meals that last most of the afternoon, and for the a long while after the holidays you're still hungry all the time? Because you're stomach is stretched, and until it goes back to its normal size its always hungry. Her's is the opposite problem.

My husband has the same issue. He never eats, and when he does its a woman sized portion, and he's hungry again in 30 minutes. I cannot get him to realize the need to eat more at each sitting until his stomach can have room for a real size meal.

Side from that, she's probably got a high metabolism, and you need to feed her COMPLEX carbs and COMPLETE proteins. You dont get these things from packaged foods and boxed meal kits. It she has a better quality food in her it will take longer to digest and serve her longer.

Your doctor can help you know what meals would be best for her. I wouldnt make her avoid meals if she doesnt eat, it will only cause her stomach to stay smaller all the time and she'll never have room for anything.

Answer 3

Many parenting magazines state that people should eat a small snack between meals. Breakfast should be a really good meal. If she wants a snack before lunch, make it a nutritous snack. However, you don't want eating something big before bed. Her metabolic rate declines. It is perfectly normal. My child is only in the 50th percentile, and she does the exact same thing. It is not a major issue, but ask her doctor your concern.

Answer 4

My 9 yo has always been a finicky eater. There are certain foods he will not eat, period. And others he cannot get enough of. He is also a snacker. As long as he is gaining/maintaining weight the doctor has always been fine with that. I will let him eat his meals at his own pace and he will normally eat it all.

I took the hard line with him and refused to feed him once he left the table. He did starve himself for two weeks. He ate at school and barely ate at home. He lost weight and as he is thin to begin with I took him to the doctors and that is when we came up with this schedule. He eats when and how much he wants. He eats healthier and more since we have been doing that.

Some people might not agree with what we do, but it works for us and I have a healthy eater because of it.

Answer 5

my daughter has done, and still does do this on occation. Dont think its a big issue, cause its not. when she says she is full fine, she is full, thats it....take the dish away and thats all she gets, remind her of that, if she dosnt eat now, she waits untill the next meal to eat,,, she will NOT starve to death, she is testing her boundries with you (well mom wont make me eat this, but if i ask for something in ten minutes, she will get it for me) DONT DO IT. You are the mom and she needs to know that you mean what you say.... its either she waits for the next meal (wich is best) or you make her finish eating what she started, dont make her something new.

Answer 6

Actually there is nothing wrong with lots of small meals. Make her 3 balanced meals a day and explain that she can eat them thru-out the day and if she is able to do that, then it is fine with you. By making her the three meals, you will know that she is eating healthy. Don't just let her snack all day.

Answer 7

I agree with the other responders. Welcome to the age of being manipulated by a child and congratulations on not giving in. Supper was there and she can have it or not, as she chooses, but that is her only chance. Once, or maybe twice, without anything available after the time of the normal dinner, which she did not eat, should convince her she was not that full after all.

Answer 8

If she's at a normal weight than I wouldn't worry. Kid's go through weird phases when it comes to there eating habits. Just make sure that when she does eat it is something of nutritional value. Make sure she drinks enough milk and gets enough protein.

Answer 9

Here is my answer. Make sure she doesnt snack alot between meals. Also make sure when she is taken to a nice place, Olive Garden comes to mind, make sure she eats it all and doesnt fill up on breadsticks or mints afterwards. Its awfully expensive meal for stuff you can get for under $5

Answer 10

Leave her food on the table if she doesn't finish it. Cover it with something and when she get hungry again she can eat the rest of her food. That's what my sons Dr. said for me to do.