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Wednesday, May 18, 2011

The pickiest of the picky

Now, like I said, I'm not usually a big worrier, but lately, Ben is worrying me. We let him get weighed at each of the girl's appointments so he doesn't feel left out and he has sat at 30 lbs. give or take 1 lb. for over 6 months. It wouldn't really concern me except for the fact that I just learned his BMI went down not huge, but a significant amount. Not a good sign. He's not eating as much and he is super picky about what he does eat. I pour him cereal in the morning which he take 2 bites of them he's done. Lunch and dinner are the same. I talked with someone at WIC about it and this is what she said:
  • No snacks. Give a big meal  and if he doesn't eat then he has to wait. It's to train him to eat all his food.
  • Don't force him to sit there until he is done. It creates control issues.
  • Don't bribe.
  • Pour calories into what he will eat. Whole milk and other food that are high in calories to make up for the fact that he doesn't eat much.
Now, I understand that it is normal to go through stages of not wanting to eat, but not gaining anything in 6 months, is a little ridiculous.  Am I crazy for worrying that he won't eat?

8 pieces of love:

AJ said...

yeah Treson's been the same weight for a while- and it's normal for them to lose some of their "baby fat" around that age- I would start to worry if he starts getting lethargic and moody. other than that take a deep breathe Cuz in a few short years you're gonna wish he wouldn't eat so much! :D

Ashley Gilbert said...

Any kid will eat when they are hungry enough. My brothers all suffered from picky eating and my mom did just as that lady at WIC suggested. She gave them fatty foods like hot dogs, and whole milk to make up for the calories they were loosing. Good luck! Oh and another thing that kids love are smoothies. They cannot resist the fruity-sugary taste and it is way better for them then candy. lol

The Mathesons said...

Malcom sat at the same weight for a good long while too. I think he just stopped growing outwards and started growing upwards. Even now, I don't think he's gained any weight in a few months, and he can be picky too. We give him vitamins so I don't worry too much. I'm going to have to try cutting down on snacks and eating bigger meals thing, too. That's ingenious! Thanks for posting those tips!

Butler Family said...

Gordon is 35 pounds but he is 4 and he is really pick lately too when he usually isn't but I wouldn't start worrying until he starts losing weight. He is atleast gaining weight even if it isn't much he is still gaining.

MaryDawnCarrier said...

You might try some PediaSure?

Dani Kohler said...

If you are concerned than talk to your doctor. I would not talk to WIC alone. If you are that concerned you need to talk to his doctor. My Ben has been the same weight for about 10 months but the doctor told us that kids go through that at different stages in their lives. I think the whole thing about them not getting snacks unless they eat their meal is a good one. We did that and it solved a lot of the eating problems at our house. OUr boys know that if they don't eat their meals they don't get a snack and if they don't eat dinner they go to bed hungry. We don't force them to eat but after a little while of not eating they got hungry and do really well now.

Christy said...

Are you sure you aren't talking about my kid? Haha! We have gone through (and still are in) that process so I can tell you the few things we have found to help (depending on the day). 1st, our doctor said to not freak out if he's not lethargic, but he was also concerned with the no weight gain. But we have been using whole milk and oil and butter on everything. I found instant breakfasts have helped the most for us. Vitamin supplements have helped Nico grow but not necessarily gain weight. Oh, and oatmeal helps a lot (but I can only get Nico to eat it in cookies.) finally, we have had to just sit Nico down and make him eat. We will take something that he likes (like watermelon) and let him take a bite after every bite of regular food he takes. It's hard to worry about your kids. Good luck!

Unknown said...

Yeah, totally don't let yourself get freaked out by this! Matthew has been around 30 lbs now for like the last year and it's really not a big deal. I would say that as long as he acts normal and isn't showing signs of major malnutrition then just keep sneaking in high calorie foods. Most kids are naturally picky. When he's hungry, he'll eat. Don't give in when he doesn't eat his dinner and give him what he wants an hour after not finishing dinner either. That makes for major bad habits. You are not a short order cook. He'll figure things out. Plus at that age kids are just not gaining weight as steadily as they were before, but they sure do get taller!

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