Horrible eaters????

I just dont know what to do anymore, and I am so ready to throw in the towel.
Dinner has turned into a complete nightmare.
Breakfast and lunch is so so but dinner I can scream and cry all at the same time
It got so bad tonight she basically threw up and hyperventilated all at the same time.
I am just so frustrated and clueless as what to do that I have basically given up.
I offer her one meal and if she doesnt eat it - I give in with either fruit, yogurt or cherrios but that is it. I am not a Diner and refuse to be one. Should I not even give in with those options? What do I do when she is trying to climb out of the high chair and as soon as she gets out she is smiling ??? I didnt want to turn meal time into a complete battle but this is what dinner has become.
But how can she possible live on nothing but a cup of milk after having lunch around 2pm all the way until 9 am .
I dont even know what advice I am looking for but tonight was just enough and I have had it

Message edited 9/8/2011 8:33:14 PM.

Re: Horrible eaters????

Were you n my house today? Haha

My dd is the same way in fact I asked about this earlier. I have to check to see if anyone responded.

My dd is 15 mths and eats cheeios and fruit. She's been liking wheat thins and townhouse cracker lately. She was good with bread but not lately. Bfast and lunch are also soso.

I don't know what to do either

Re: Horrible eaters????

I'm sorry all I can offer are We go through similiar episodes, I feel like feeding him = torturing him. It's so sad I really put a lot of effort into making nutritious things for him to eat and 9/10 he won't even take a bite. When he is taking a "bite" of something I literally do a song and dance for him to keep eating most of the time its over before i reach 4-5 spoonfuls. If the highchair is a problem I end up following him around the house trying to feed him, I usually have the most luck by the train table b/c he's concentrating on the trains and sometims I get lucky and can get some food in him. I really don't have much advice, it is SO frustrating, it really takes a toll on my emotions. I'll admit it my whole mood changes when he's not eating, its like here I have food for him to eat and I can't even nourish my own child I feel like a total failure. Sorry I'm venting too, all I can say hopefully in time it will get better...constant battle, I actually love everything about taking care of him EXCEPT feeding a toddler its become a total nightmare for me.

Re: Horrible eaters????

If DS doesn't eat what I make for him he goes to bed hungry. He's not going to starve, and if he's hungry enough he will eat what I put in front of him. He knows there's no other option, so he eats his dinner about 80% of the time. I'm sorry I have no other advice to give you, I know it must be hard

Re: Horrible eaters????

how old is she?
DS is 22 months and refuses to sit in high chair anymore. He wants to sit at the table with us and NOT in a booster seat. SO I cave and allow him to stand on the chair and eat dinner with us.

BUT I write this b/c tonight I put him in his highchair and he got in and said "all done" and threw a fit, I took him out and when Daddy walked in the door he said "it's din din time". . .and said "mama chair, eat" SO maybe she doesn't want to be in her highchair anymore?? maybe try a booster seat at the table. (don't make my mistake by not introducing the booster seat first lol unless you want your child standing on a chair and eating dinner :- ) )

Also, if he boycotts dinner at the time, I leave it out for him and I would say MOST of the time he comes back to it, almost like he jsut wasn't ready to eat at the time I offered. ETA - I don't offer him anything else.

Message edited 9/8/2011 9:10:05 PM.

Re: Horrible eaters????

how old??? that makes a big difference in the advice we can give!

it's going to be okay! SHE WILL NOT STARVE HERSELF...

repeat that to yourself over & over & over!

Re: Horrible eaters????

DD is 14 months old and has always been a difficult eater.

thank you for all of the words of advice and
for those that are going through the same thing. it is really frustrating like a previous poster stated that I take a lot of time and effort to make DD nutritious food and she wont even try it at times ! And when she does try it, all she takes is like 4-5 spoonfuls last night was just horrible and I had to vent plus have a glass of wine
she did great this morning (must have been since the last time she ate was 2 pm yesterday)
I just have to keep saying she wont starve and just breath and try to relax during all meals
I just dont want feeding time to = a battle.

any other words of advice would be great.
Good luck to all the other mommies of difficult eaters

Re: Horrible eaters????

We stuggle here too. DS is 18 months and has never been a big eater. He will eat most things, but he has about 3 bites and he's done. I tend to offer him what I want him to eat first, one thing at a time, and I finish each meal with fruit- because I know that's the one thing he'll eat. I never start with fruit because he would never eat anything else.

Re: Horrible eaters????