my 4 year old won't eat

[fatbottomedgirl]

my 4 year old won't eat. i did everything right- he was b/fed, he ate all meals with us, we always have proper home made food, i let him help me with preparing meals, he helps with baking, we always at the table-as a family, and it all went fine- he ate really well, then it stopped. he really is quite skinny now, and everymeal time is a fight.he won't even eat things we make together!he only wants things that are bought form shops-jammie dodgers etc... do i just give in and let him eat bread and butter, or present him with the same as us, and send him to bed hungry? his brother is 1 yr old, and i'm worried this is going to start rubbing off on him.this is really getting me down.

[powder28]

Did you see that episode of supernanny where the child wouldnt eat? They set up a reward chart and sectioned off parrts of the plate so that the child had something on his plate that he would eat and also something he normally wouldnt. If he ate one of the things he normally wouldnt then he got a sticker. Then if after a week he had a certain amount of stickers then he got a reward. Cant remember exactly what it was but it seemed to work.

[thelittleElf]

I'm presuming you've informed th local health visitor - she may be able to out you in touch with a paediatrician (sp) who could help you get to the root of this problem.
My cousins little boy is an awful eater aswell. He's so thin, and has now been referred. Is he same with everyone, or only with you. I ask, because my cousins boy is mostly like it with only his mum. My mum looked after him one day (he's 3) and he ate everything that was given to him , but with his mother it's almost like he's using it as a weapon for some reason!
Good luck x

[NannyL]

ok.... just feed him what you want him to eat...

ie portions of your family meals.

Dont stress about it and he can eat it or go hungry. NOTHING else at all except water until next meal.

Insist he sits at the table and has food in front of him etc, then if he really dosnt want to eat it, calmly so ok its going in the bin. Put it in the bin and then thats it until next meal.

He will soon be hungry enough to eat something! Also when he sees you couldnt care less whether he eats or not you will probably find that he eats a lot more!

Dont forget that no child has ever starved themselves to death simply because they refuse to eat perfectly yummy food!

[lloydie]

Hi

I have a similar problem with my 15 month old. Some days she'll eat fine and others she just won't have it and it really stresses me out. Her weight is constantly going up and down, although the Health Visitor says she is perfectly healthy and nothing to worry about.

I swing between not giving her any options, i.e. eat whats there or have nothing, and giving in one hour later and giving her fruit or something just so that she's eaten something!

I'm probably doing it all wrong, but just wanted you to know that you're not alone in the food battle!!

[collision]

My nearly 5 yr old was the same.

We now sit down and discuss as a family what we will be eating for the week and do a meal plan.

so DH and I will be having sausage and borlotti casserole tomorrow and the boys will have sausages and vegetables.

tonight we all had pasta ragu with pork mince.

Dont make a big scene but as he gets older tell him the rule is that he has to try it.

Our motto is ' You cant say you dont like it if you havent tried it!!'

He will soon be hungry enough to eat something!