Getting a toddler to eat

Toddlers are more on playing, they don't usually eat. Most toddlers are too picky, they don't usually eat vegies. What I can advice to you is make his food very attractive to his eyes. Try to give him bite sized foods so he can easily swallow it. Toddlers don't eat a lot during meals so I suggest small frequent feeding. Even if he eats only a little amount of food, at least he eats oftentimes.

my son will be turning 2, and there are times too that he doesnt like to eat at all. so i make a point to give him cookies. he will take a bite or a two then i will be patient enough to wait if he wants more. i make sure i have something in the fridge that he loves to eat. pick foods that are easy to chew and give it to them in small size. make sure his mouth is empty already before giving him again. give only small amount of food so he can chew it properly. always make the rice with a little soup so he wont have hard time chewing it.

I would say take no notice of what a child of that age says that they 'like' and then 'don't like'. What they mean is that they don't 'want' it today - they may well eat it tomorrow or next week. Just give him lots of variety and he'll try new things over time. My three (coming up four) year-old is a bad eater at lunch time, we have decided to place a time-limit and remove unfinished lunch rather than get frustrated and try to force her to eat - I hope this will teach her to eat while the food is there!! Steak is hard for kids to eat, I would research something easier to digest which has plenty of iron - I wouldn't recommend supplements at such a low age unless prescribed, you can probably correct this behaviour naturally - I'm a bit biased against fixing things we don't like with a tablet - I think it teaches a bad lesson for later in life. What medical advice have you received about the iron deficiency??

Well, first, if you have not already i would start him on an iron supplement. CHildren this age are notorious for changing appetites. I remember when my oldest was that age and began to do that, I thought there must be something wrong with him, as he would ask for seconds one day, and then pick at his food the next! He still does this on occasion (he's three now) I have found that it's usually a phase.. and in a couple weeks they will begin eating normally again. What we do in our household, is that you have to try everything that is on your plate. If you are unwilling to take one bite, that's fine you can go to your room. We have just started this a couple months ago, and it works well enough. Also, there isn't much you can do about a child who simply is not hungry at dinner time. I would suggest cutting out all snacks during this time, and see if that helps him. ALso, don't allow him to drink anything with his meal besides water, so he doesn't fill up on liquids. All of these tips may help, but i don't think it will make a major difference (unless he is filling up on snacks and water throughout the day) b/c most children go through phases of being starving, to not wanting to eat anything from their plate. All you can do is offer him healthy food, and when he is hungry, he will eat. Good luck

Try letting him have some choices. Get him involved when you plan meals, when you shop, and when you prepare them. Make it fun for him. At his age, he can help measure, pour, and mix. Or you could give him a bowl and spoon to play with to pretend he is cooking while you prepare meals. Get him involved in every way you can. Let him see you eat and enjoy the same foods you serve him. Sit down and eat with him. Do not let meals turn into a power struggle, that will only make your problem worse. If he doesn't want to eat, don't push the issue, but later when he is hungry offer him the same food again, not just a snack. If he is iron deficient, you should talk to his pediatrician about an iron supplement. Other than that, don't worry too much if he eats a lot one day and not much the next. That's how toddlers are. Just like adults, some days they just don't feel like eating.

I had a picky eater on my hands. She picks her food and only eat a little bit even if she likes the food. It was hard to get her to eat and many family members has suggested to me to force her to eat and that didn't go so well. What I did was I made it into an event/project I would ask her to help me cook the meals. I let her play with the water (wash the veggies),marinade the meat and stir mixtures, stuff like that. After the meal is made I tell her that she was an excellent cook and that the food is great. It work for me.