How much time do you give them to eat?

[JASMAK]

wow, what a great little eater you have!! Kelana eats like a bird, but yeah, she takes forever!!!30-40 mins for sure...I eat, clean up after everyone, and then she is done...or so...

 

[katieandfras]

My LO was very similar to yours in that she refused to eat anything savoury for a good 3 months!! Oh except toast and cheese!!

Anyway, shes much better now and is starting to eat rice, chilli, jackets etc and I will sit with her until shes had at least half the meal (unless shes having a proper meltdown!!)

I can tell shes had enough becuase she literally starts trying to climb out her booster chair! I dont force her, if shes hungry she ll sit and eat, i not then I let her down - sometimes its just not worth the battle¬! I remember how frustrated I used to get but I knew she wasnt starving or she d eat!

I dont know if this wold make any difference - but I found Emily hated been constricted to the highchair so bought a little table and chair and sat next to her onthe floor and she ate much better. (Although she learnt to get up and run off as she got older so now we have a booster chair up the table and shes somuch better)!

There is light at the end of the tunnel though - it will get better!

 

[ginab]

I dont know what everyone else has said as Ive not read the replies BUT Maggie too never seems to have much of an apetite and ive worried about it constantly for months and months and then one day I read a book by Dr Christopher Green called Toddler Taming and there's a section in there about 'feeding toddlers' and the problems associated with it and what to do etc etc, and I can honestly say since I read it I dont worry anymore I just offer her food throughout the day not just at mealtimes and I never force her to sit down and eat or push it on her.

Just trust your daughter to know what her body needs at the moment and what it doesnt, as long as you keep offering.

I think vitamins are a great idea if anything will keep your mind at rest.

That book is fantastic Id def recommend it. x

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Ruby tells me when she's finished. However if we are still eating she has to stay in her chair until we have finished.

 

[emsiee]

I give Jessica as long as it takes...if i can tell shes had enough (spitting it out or messing with it) that tells me shes had enough so I`ll take it away, but generally, she will eat whats in front of her. I`ll even re warm it if its gone cold and she will start eating it again. Its sometimes 10mins to eat a meal, other times, its 20 mins but never more than that, she is quite quick compared to some kids

 

[RainbowDrop_x]

I don't really "give" DD a set amount of time to eat. Whatever I put in front of her she will eat until she's had enough and she tends to say "I'm done" or throw all her food off her plate/throws her plate off the high chair.

If she refuses to eat what I put in front of her I'll leave in front of her for maybe 15 minutes before offering something else. If she doesn't eat the 2nd thing I put in front of her then I just assume she's not hungry unless she tells me other wise

 

[Siyren]

when she's done she's done, and she'll let us know, we ask her to wait until everyone has finished though before she either has her yogurt or gets down from the table,
not pushing has worked so far, i have the only toddler i know that will refuse pudding if she's full, and say no to chocolate/ says she's finished when she's full even if theres some left x

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

^ Ruby is the same. If she's full she won't even eat a biscuit.

 

[Laucu]

Emma will usually take around 30 minutes to eat. If she starts playing with her food I will ask her if she is finished -- occasionally she will start eating again but most of the time she carries on playing so I will take it off her and offer some pudding (fruit, even though she demands 'wobbly jelly'!).

 

[tu123]

Thank you for your advice ladies. We hink we may have found an additional cause for her lack of eating (nightmare especially this last month).

She has had a cold for two months now. I recently took her to the GP worried her ears were bunged up, etc.

He said it was totally normal for LOs to be cough and splutter for quite some time after a cold and didnt examine her.

After a 13hr shift yesterday i cam home to a very unhappy girl. She was screaming so bad her eyes were swelling, she was vomiting masses of bile and she had a rash around her checks (i have posted about this recently). It has come and gone over the last 6 weeks.

Took her to Aand E still screaming. They took one look at her and said her tonsils were filling her throat! The poor thing has had tonsilitis for weeks!

At least now we know what might be happening and can do something about it! Even if after 10 hrs in A and E!

I feel terrible! I should have known or forced the doctor to take a look at her rather than brush me off! I am nurse for goodness sake!

 

[ginab]

Oh thank god you persisted and took her to a&e!! Poor little thing I hope she gets better really soon, what prescription have they given her? Bet your relieved in a way? x

 

[QTPie]

Oh no, how horrible - that could well cause problems eating . Hope that she is a lot better soon x

 

[tu123]

Thanks peeps.

They gave her fluids and antibiotics and antibs to take home. Poor little mite. She didnt sleep at all last night. Put her down at 6 and she is still asleep!

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Oh no! Well, at least you have now got something to help her. That would certainly explain the lack of eating wouldn't it. Hope she feels better soon!