You know how when you’re a parent, the one issue you calmly counseled other parents on *before *you became a parent suddenly becomes your issue? That’s what this is. There are probably half a dozen “My kid won’t eat!!!11” threads on here where I’ve given the same calm, rational advice y’all are: don’t make it an issue…eating disorders…battle you won’t win…eat when they’re hungry…yadda, yadda, yadda.
Only, now it’s my *own *little bitty munchikin, and my brain won’t boot up that program!
Also, a huge piece of this is “Preemie Worry”: if it had been my son years ago, I wouldn’t have batted an eye, but I’m used to worrying about this one. I’ll get over it. (Well, as much as you ever get over worrying when you’re a mom!)
So thank you all for your words of advice. It really does help to hear it over and over again. Sooner or later it will sink in.
You are getting lots of good advice here . . .one thing I’ve found that works with Baby Nightingale (18 months old) is to keep stuff he likes available so he can graze. A bowl of blueberries is the most recent favorite; they’re cool coming out of the fridge, he can feed them to himself without a mess, and it’s easy to just leave a little bowl of them where he can reach it. Plus they’re good for him. He also likes plums, which are good coming out of the fridge.
I agree with the Don’t Worry advice — and also agree that it’s just about impossible to not worry!
Sugar can be a good appetite stimulant, but of course there are a million reasons for not letting that genie out of the bottle. I had trouble w/my dd when she was getting over rotavirus & wouldn’t even drink — letting her lick a jolly rancher got her interested in drinking & eating.
Right now my 2.5-yr-olds are eating “dinner” at 8:00 some nights! They’re really into canteloupe and watermelon, blueberries and grapes (cut in half, of course). When all else fails, blueberry waffles. Mine also like dry cereal as a snack - Cheerios, corn flakes, rice chex.
If the problem is she won’t eat because she’s too hot then focus on how to cool her off rather than getting her to eat. Maybe a quick bath would help. (Or is a quick bath for a toddler an impossibility?)
Oh, you are right…it won’t matter. It’s just one more damn thing to worry about, and I am a first-class worrier when it comes to the little tyke…as you say, I would be the first one to tell OTHER moms not to worry, and at the same time, I’m afraid I’m doing everything wrong!
Seriously, healthy toddlers can get by on very little if well hydrated. When the twins go on a hunger strike, as they did at Disneyland last year when the Columbia was closed and they were forced to endure the Mark Twain, I just assessed their turgor by gently pinching their sternums and watching their color.
They each ate 3 grapes, a cracker and a string cheese all weekend, but lots of bottled water. They just celebrated their 8th birthday.
I’m not a mom, but when my cousin’s around with his kids, my mom and aunt like to point out how when my 2 cousins were little my aunt’s house had food sitting all over because the kids refused to eat.
She’d leave plates with mini hot dogs or lunch meat sitting around (obviously they were a tad older than yours) and the kids would run by and take a bite when they felt like it.
Grazing sounds like a good idea to me. Will give you some peace of mind too knowing you’re not pushing food on her but she won’t starve either.
