My Child Eats Nothing – What Should I Do?

Worrying about their child’s behavior, social relationships, and the way they deal with problems from an early age often drives mothers to despair. But perhaps the most common concern, or the one we hear most from mothers of children, is: “my child eats nothing”. In fact, food issues are not something that puts parents at ease. Starting with the development of the child’s palate, which often rejects what we consider healthy. Although we know that children tend to prefer sweeter things, it is also true that taste can be shaped by what the child is or is not used to eating. In other words, it is also the parents’ responsibility to ensure that the child becomes accustomed to having healthy foods in their daily routine¹.

The Importance of Nutrition

Nutrition plays a fundamental role in children’s development in several areas of their lives, such as:

• Intellectual development
• Physical development
• Prevention of health problems
• Prevention of dental issues

As you can see, nutrition is important for every aspect of a child’s development, and the lack of it can lead to serious problems that will have consequences for the rest of their life. That’s why when you notice that your child eats nothing, pay attention to what this could mean and how you can address the problem.

My Baby Doesn’t Want to Eat, Now What?

There are many reasons why a baby might not want to eat. Maybe they are trying to challenge you and avoid eating what you give them, but the fact is that everyone feels hunger and, at some point, your child will end up giving in. If your baby continues refusing to eat, you might want to consider other reasons for this behavior, such as some internal pain they can’t express yet, or even a digestive system disorder. It’s important to know the difference between a “fussy” child and a child who actually has some problem². That’s why, if you have any doubts, the best thing is to take your baby to a pediatrician and explain that your child eats nothing—they will assess your baby and guide you to the best solutions for the issue.

Important: It’s important to understand that a child has a small stomach and often feels satisfied with just a little food. If this is the case, think carefully before trying to make them eat more—you might be forcing your child to eat more than they can handle.

It Might Just Be a Phase

Research indicates that between the ages of 2 and 3 is when children are most likely to refuse food. This is exactly due to their social development, where they test their limits and see “how far they can go” with their parents. Although this is normal, you shouldn’t just let your child take over the situation, because you know what’s best for them when it comes to nutrition. This phase tends to be a challenge, but it is, after all, just a phase that will pass, and that old saying my child eats nothing will be left behind, believe it! Usually, it is not something that harms your child’s development in any way, and it’s natural for it to happen at some point—this might last more or less time than with others, but it ends up happening to you too.

Tips for Feeding Picky Eaters

To overcome situations where your child eats nothing, it’s important to pay attention to certain aspects that might help change this³. First, pay attention to eating habits throughout the day. Include fruit daily, which can be served for breakfast and as snacks, like in the afternoon. Does your child really eat nothing, or is it just during mealtimes? Is there a way to make them enjoy healthier foods more? Here are some tips for feeding children:

• Avoid letting them eat junk food throughout the day. Occasionally, having a snack or something sweet during the day can be enjoyable, but making it a habit may cause your child to lose their appetite at mealtimes.
• Do not give juice or soft drinks at mealtimes. A child’s stomach is small, which means these drinks can fill them up, making them lose their appetite.
• Try to discover what your child likes most. You might be surprised by how many healthy foods your child genuinely enjoys. Value those foods!
• Include vegetables in every meal. This supplies all the nutrients children need for healthy development, and helps them get used to eating these foods—over time, they’ll even start to like them.

Observe Eating Habits

There are many ways to stimulate a child’s appetite and gradually stop saying “my child eats nothing.” Besides following the tips in this article, it’s important to get to know your child’s eating habits very well. What do they eat at preschool, for example? Because that can also affect how they eat at home. In short, keeping track of your child’s daily routine is the key to solving this problem, which is very common for many mothers. It is very common to hear many mothers say “my child eats nothing”. Even though this causes concern and sometimes even despair, it might not be as serious as you think. A child’s development goes through phases, and sometimes they try to push boundaries to see what power they have at home. It’s a tricky moment, but it can be easily managed by parents—especially if they have all the information and knowledge necessary to deal with the situation. That’s why it’s so important for us to pay close attention to raising children and their problems, as many of them are more normal than we might think. But most importantly, we need to know how and when the cases we read about apply to our own reality, so we can understand exactly how to handle the issues we’re facing ourselves. See Also: How to Give Medicine to Children Photo: avitalchn