Tigger has never been a big eater, even when he was a baby. When we started to wean him, his appetite and range of palette seemed to grow. That was until he got chicken pox last February and has since suffered with bug after bug. His immune system is wiped and picks up every little cold, virus and infection going. Mostly recently whilst we all got a cold he had an ear, throat and eye infection.
With each bug he catches it seems like we take another leap backwards when it comes to his eating. At two years old he should be eating the same as the rest of the family (obviously a smaller portion), but no. Refusing to eat anything remotely like a normal meal, covering his mouth, shouting no, turning his head away is all part and parcel of every mealtime.
His weight I’d stable so my health visitor isn’t concerned, and thinks that I should feed him whatever he will eat. ‘If he wants to eat chips every mealtime then let him’ was her reply when I asked about how I could encourage him to eat regularly and better. I have tried this, not though choice but the feeling that at least he is eating something but now he is eating less and less.
A typical food day
Breakfast – 8oz whole milk bottle, 1 to 2 slice of toast (refuses to eat cereal of any kind, warm or cold, with or without milk)
Lunch – 1/2 a jar of Cow & Gate cauliflower cheese (his favourite food, but used to eat at least a whole jar), possibly a yoghurt
Tea – Hand full of chips (refuses any veg and meat) or 1/2 a jar of Cow & Gate Spag Bol (I have tried homemade, different shop bought cans i.e. beans etc but refuses)
Snacks – the odd breadstick, Doritos (he loves these, but he can’t survive on crisps), a few chocolate buttons, toast
Bedtime – 8oz whole milk
Night time – 1 to 2 8oz bottles of whole milk (due to his terrible eating I can be up anywhere between once and five times a night with Tigger)
Honestly I could sit here and cry about it, I have no idea how to encourage better eating, change his opinion of new food. I am sick and tired of everyone’s comments on his eating, making it look like I am trying to starve him. If anyone thinks they can do a better job, please, please pop on over and see if you can do any better because I can’t.
If anyone has any ideas on how I can encourage him or change his terrible eating habits, please get in touch… I’m at my wits end
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