Eating Issues
Feb 4, 2015 11:22:08 GMT -5
Post by aydee on Feb 4, 2015 11:22:08 GMT -5
I've run into some eating issues with DD lately and I was hoping for some feedback from you ladies. Recently DD has been primarily playing with her food during mealtimes rather than eating. She'll eat the first few bites on her own, but then starts "painting" food onto her hands, arms, tray, plate, etc.... Or she moves food around from one spot to another, mixes it together, or tries to put it in her water cup. I think it's pretty natural to want to play with your food at this age, but it's getting in the way of her eating. Once she stops eating, if we put the food in her mouth while she's playing during mealtime, most of the time she'll eat it happily. But she basically stops feeding herself after the first few bites. If we prompt her to put the food in her mouth, she'll often ignore us, although yesterday and today she would continue to take a few bites with reminders.
This has been going on for at least a month now and my biggest concern about this is that she has actually dropped a pound since I weighed her last month, down to 23lbs. She was 22.8lbs at her 18-month-checkup in August. To be fair, she has been sick with a cold in the past week and was eating even worse than usual, but still, I'm concerned. I don't want to give any supplements. I really believe that she can and should get everything she needs from eating, and she always has in the past.
We have no issues with the variety of foods the kids eat. It's just the quantity with her. I don't want to have to put the food in her mouth in order to get her to eat. And I think we've passed the point of "if she's hungry she'll eat". Although maybe if she had a few meals where we didn't help her and she consumed next to nothing, she'd be hungry enough to get down to business.
I used to play Pandora while the kids ate breakfast and lunch, but I stopped this yesterday and I think she may be eating more now without the music for distraction. I'm also thinking I need to give her more tactile sensory activities throughout the day like playdough and finger paint to satisfy those sensory needs so she won't be pursuing it so much during mealtime.
Any other thoughts or ideas on this? I don't want to stifle her curiosity, but I also want her to eat!
This has been going on for at least a month now and my biggest concern about this is that she has actually dropped a pound since I weighed her last month, down to 23lbs. She was 22.8lbs at her 18-month-checkup in August. To be fair, she has been sick with a cold in the past week and was eating even worse than usual, but still, I'm concerned. I don't want to give any supplements. I really believe that she can and should get everything she needs from eating, and she always has in the past.
We have no issues with the variety of foods the kids eat. It's just the quantity with her. I don't want to have to put the food in her mouth in order to get her to eat. And I think we've passed the point of "if she's hungry she'll eat". Although maybe if she had a few meals where we didn't help her and she consumed next to nothing, she'd be hungry enough to get down to business.
I used to play Pandora while the kids ate breakfast and lunch, but I stopped this yesterday and I think she may be eating more now without the music for distraction. I'm also thinking I need to give her more tactile sensory activities throughout the day like playdough and finger paint to satisfy those sensory needs so she won't be pursuing it so much during mealtime.
Any other thoughts or ideas on this? I don't want to stifle her curiosity, but I also want her to eat!