Toddler Tips
A Slow Start to Solids
From: NEW BEGINNINGS, Vol. 11 No. 6, November-December 1994, pp. 186-8
We provide articles from our publications from previous years
for reference for our Leaders and members. Readers are cautioned to
remember that research and medical information change over time.
"Toddler Tips" is a regular feature of the magazine NEW BEGINNINGS, published bimonthly by La Leche League International. In this column, suggestions are offered by readers of NEW BEGINNINGS to help parents of toddlers. Various points of view are presented. Not all of the information may be pertinent to your family's lifestyle. This information is general in nature, and not intended to be advice, medical or otherwise.
Situation
My daughter just turned
three, and though she'll eat fruit and a few other foods, frequently
a day or two goes by when she hasn't eaten any solid food. I am comfortable
with her continued nursing, and though she is petite at 25 pounds, she
is growing and energetic and her doctor says she is healthy. Her brother
was also petite but ate a variety of solids at this age. I have trusted
her up until now to know her needs; however, I receive so many comments
about her size it is beginning to undermine my confidence. What can
I do to help her learn to enjoy eating more foods?
Response
As a mother of three "picky"
eaters, I have found that when children get hungry they will eat. I
would not be too concerned, as you have said that your daughter is energetic
and growing. By offering a variety of foods that are wholesome, you
are giving your child the opportunity to regulate her own likes and
dislikes. This is a real plus in this day and age of children and adults
with eating disorders.
Younger children will generally
find foods that their older siblings enjoy appealing. I know that if
my two-and-a-half-year-old sees my five-year-old with fruit or a whole
grain muffin he wants it. My daughter would eat foods that I gave fun
names to: golden raisins were bumble bees, cantaloupe was antelope, and
cheese wedges were mouse cheese.
Since your daughter is a
nursing toddler, you can be assured that she is still getting at least
one meal a day that is the "perfect food." When I expressed concern
about my own children's fussy eating, I was told a multivitamin can
fill the gaps.
Susan Schubert
Brodheadsville PA USA
Response
I can really relate to your
situation. My daughter, Heather, is also a petite three-year-old at
27 pounds. She once went three weeks eating nothing but yogurt. If I
have any advice, it would be to always have plenty of the foods your
child does like on hand to eat whenever she is hungry. Do not restrict
the times your child eats, but do have her sit at the table with the
family at meal times. At meal time put a bite or two of what you are
serving on a plate, ask your child to pick one of the foods on the plate
and to take one bite, that is all. I think you will be surprised at
what your child will try. My daughter doesn't remember the names of
foods, so when I ask her if she wants something she says no. When I
put it in front of her she says "Oh yeah, I like those." Keep trying—just
because she dislikes something this month doesn't mean she won't like
it next month. Go with your instincts and don't worry what other people
say. It is okay to have a petite child. If your child is healthy, happy,
and growing, there is no problem.
Lianne Learnard
Lunenburg MA USA
Response
My three-year-old daughter
is an intermittent eater. However, she will eat almost anything presented
in a new way. I put cereal in interesting containers such as a pill
box or a heart-shaped box. I cut carrots into "coins" and let her "spend"
them. I've used small crackers as "tickets" for running around the house.
It's a bit more work, but fun, and I love seeing the food go into her.
Good Luck!
Kathleen O'Connell
Julian PA USA
Response
My daughter is also three
years old. She still nurses a couple of times a day and usually eats
pretty well. However, she occasionally goes through a "phase" where
she doesn't seem to want to eat at all. Another mother shared a really
neat idea with me; instead of putting her food on a plate and expecting
her to sit at the table to eat, try putting her food in a muffin pan.
Each cup can hold a small serving of bite-sized food. Place the muffin
pan on a low table, or in the seat of a chair where it will be easily
accessible to her. Then, she can breeze by, grab a little snack, and
go on with her playing. She seems much more interested in the little
snacks in the cups (tiny carrots, raisins, fish crackers, apple chunks,
cheese cubes) than she ever is when I give her a plate of food.
And if you line the muffin pan with paper muffin cups, you don't even
have to wash the pan!
LaJuana Oswalt
Sherwood AR USA
Response
My daughter, Michaelle, turned
three this month and weighs only about 27 pounds. My doctor is not concerned,
and since I'm also petite (five feet one inch, 110 pounds), I'm not
expecting her to be as tall or heavy as some of her peers. When she
was 18 months old, she had increased her weight by only a couple of
pounds over several months, was nursing often, and showed little interest
in solids. I had been following Dr. William Sears' recommendation to
make a "nibble tray" available, but felt this wasn't sufficient. By
observing Michaelle more closely than I had been, I discovered three
factors which seemed to affect how she ate.
At twenty-one months, Michaelle
was an only child who had spent little time around other children during
mealtime. When her three cousins (two of them with very healthy appetites)
came to visit us for several weeks during the summer, her previously
nonexistent appetite suddenly appeared. She began asking for foods I
had never thought to offer. Perhaps she needed more variety than I was
offering, or perhaps she just needed to see other children eating with
enthusiasm to encourage her own interest.
I caught myself conveniently
offering nursing as a snack instead of taking the time to fix a new
item for her nibble tray. When there were other children in the house,
I took more time to make healthy snacks available, and Michaelle became
more likely to eat a snack rather than nurse.
I noticed that Michaelle
ate much more for her grandmother than for me or my husband. I realized
that Grandmother sat with her throughout mealtime, giving Michaelle
her nearly undivided attention while discussing the food or anything
else, and keeping Michaelle focused on the meal. At home, Michaelle
received far less attention amid our daily routines, and was even likely
to be sitting at the table alone after I had finished eating and had
begun to clean up. When I began lingering over my own meals, and staying
at the table with Michaelle after I'd finished eating, her interest
in staying at the table improved significantly.
Attachment parenting wins
again! By observing my child more closely, spending more time with her,
and recognizing her individual needs, an otherwise worrisome situation
seemed to vanish. Your daughter may or may not benefit from the above
tips. She will benefit from careful observation and evaluation of both
her nursing and eating needs by you, the person who knows her best.
Anne Bundy
Flint MI USA
Response
My first son, now four-and-a-half,
has always been reluctant to try new foods. He enjoys a very limited
number of foods, and when he was nursing ate few solid foods. He was
weaned by 18 months when I was pregnant, but still didn't eat much.
He was small, though healthy, and generally doctors weren't concerned
about his size. I wasn't concerned about his size either, but since
he was no longer getting breast milk, it was important that he ate nutritious
foods. Like you, I wanted my child to enjoy eating more. Looking back,
I can remember some things that helped him develop better eating habits.
When he was about two, I
drew and colored pictures of all the foods he had ever agreed to eat.
I cut them out and taped them to a chart on the fridge. I drew a line
down the middle of the chart, and each day would start with one side
blank and one side filled with pictures of the foods we had on hand.
Each time he ate something he got to move that item's picture from one
side to the other. He liked finding and moving the pictures, and was
encouraged to eat a better variety of foods because he could see all
the foods that he liked that he had not yet eaten that day. We did this
only for a few weeks, but it seemed to make a lasting difference in
his attitude about eating.
His aunt gave him a fun plate,
cup, and spoon set for Christmas in hopes that it would encourage him
to eat. The plate was divided into sections that I could fill with different
foods. He loved it!
I found that if I asked him
if he wanted a particular food, he would often say "no." However, if
I prepared a snack and simply handed it to him, he would often say "thank
you" and eat it. That worked for quite a while.
He rarely will try new foods
if his dad or I offer them, but other children have encouraged him to
try cheese, carrots, rice cakes, and other new foods. We avoid buying
sweet cereals, white bread, and chips. When they are in the house, he
won't eat the whole grain cereals, breads, and fresh snacks that make
up most of his regular diet. He gets enough of those "treats" at parties and
friends' houses.
Now he understands concepts
like what fruits and vegetables are, which foods are healthy ones, that
he needs to eat breakfast to feel good, and that it's not good to eat
the same food all day long. It's easier to reason with him. He does
eat unconventionally, often having cereal for dinner, refusing all meat,
eggs, cooked vegetables, and nearly all dinner-type foods, but his diet
is fairly well rounded. I believe it's important to continue to follow
his lead as I teach him to eat well. I want him to stay in touch with
what his body can tell him about what and when he needs to eat. I think
that will have a great impact on his long-term nutritional health.
Dawn Nelson
West Valley City UT USA
Last updated Friday, September 15, 2006 by njb.
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:29:46 UTC 2007.
