https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 02 May 2026 10:10:21 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-get-2-year-old-to-start-eating#post-1970508 Thu, 04 Dec 2014 11:21:02 +0000 T.H.O.U. 1970508@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with others to wait for your eval. </p> <p>But for now, I would focus on creating positive, safe eating situations. Just have him sit at the table with you guys so he can see you eat from a fork and chew food (do it with funny exaggerated faces, open your mouth so he can see the food etc). </p> <p>I also would think about just letting him play with the food with his fingers. Don't worry about it getting to his mouth, the first step may be him just needing to learn how to explore food in general. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-get-2-year-old-to-start-eating#post-1970497 Thu, 04 Dec 2014 11:18:00 +0000 ShootingStar 1970497@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When we first started trying to get serious about solids DS flat out refused to eat from me. We had gone through a period of him being really sick with pneumonia and I kept having to force him to take this antibiotic that he hated. So he assumed that everything from me would taste bad.</p> <p>One thing that helped me get past that barrier was actually ice cream. We put a little on his mouth so that he would lick it, then I offered him some on a spoon. He quickly figured out that not everything on a spoon was going to be bad. </p> <p>Once you can get him to eat from a spoon then it can help to work your way up in terms of chunkiness. And in the beginning I liked to offer things that would just dissolve, like puffs or yogurt melts. We also give a lot of easy to eat finger foods, like mandarin oranges. </p> <p>All this is of course for after your eval :). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-get-2-year-old-to-start-eating#post-1970236 Thu, 04 Dec 2014 09:16:24 +0000 looch 1970236@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son also has oral motor issues, his main problem with eating was that he couldn't chew properly. Instead of his jaw moving in a circular motion, he moved it up and down only, which wasn't effective at mashing foods and then he had bad swallowing experiences, which made him resistant to certain foods.</p> <p>I'd honestly wait until the eval. You don't know what you're working with yet and you might inadvertanly create more issues. It's not a knock against your parenting, please don't take it that way, but an oral motor and sensory eval will give you both answers and a game plan.</p> <p>Thinking of you, let me know if you want to chat more about it off line.</p> <p>eta: oh, and try to get him to use a straw cup, rather than a sippy cup. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-get-2-year-old-to-start-eating#post-1970168 Thu, 04 Dec 2014 08:09:59 +0000 hotchildinthecity 1970168@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SugarplumsMom: I live in queens so I can definitely find an asian market :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-get-2-year-old-to-start-eating#post-1970154 Thu, 04 Dec 2014 07:21:46 +0000 SugarplumsMom 1970154@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hotchildinthecity: Perhaps you can find an Asian market and find some Korean snacks. Maybe something that looks familiar to him will work (even if it's just a quick taste - it's a start). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-get-2-year-old-to-start-eating#post-1970148 Thu, 04 Dec 2014 07:13:45 +0000 hotchildinthecity 1970148@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lawbee11: you are the third person to suggest the yogurt melts. I am going to try them as well! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-get-2-year-old-to-start-eating#post-1970147 Thu, 04 Dec 2014 07:06:59 +0000 hotchildinthecity 1970147@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks all for the insight! Googling the issue just got me a lot of "give your toddler options, "let them walk around while eating," etc Etc.</p> <p>@sunny milk from a spoon is a good idea. And the doctor actually advised against the rice cereal in a bottle (my mom recommended that too)</p> <p>@mrbee he is 10 percent for weight and 25 percent for height. And he is speech delayed. We also suspect oral motor issues.</p> <p>@Mrs. Jacks: good to know! I'm hoping we get scheduled soon. They said they have 30 days to schedule his eval and all I can see is a ticking clock and I know I just need to calm down :)</p> <p>@Ra: I will have to check with the insurance. He just went to a "regular" pediatrician yesterday but I'm sure in Manhattan there are developmental ones. I will ask more about the EI process and timeline when we have our meeting this morning. </p> <p>@MrsRcCar: @macintosh: @Mrs. Twine: @SugarplumsMom: @Kemma: what's interesting is he IS into watching us eat and will reach for a piece. When we give it to him, he will hold it in one hand and making chewing motions with his mouth. He also "pretends" to use silverware...and he's doing it correctly. </p> <p>This morning we are trying the sippy cup trainer again because I'm hoping if we can at least get him to use a sippy cup, he could have smoothies and such. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-get-2-year-old-to-start-eating#post-1970131 Thu, 04 Dec 2014 06:24:56 +0000 lamariniere 1970131@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Kemma: I agree, and was going to suggest modeling the behavior too. (But clearly, if there are real health issues and not just refusal to eat, this probably won't help much.) But maybe if you always sit down at the table together and he sees you eating, he might become interested in trying something. Since he has always had a bottle, maybe he was never really around the table when his foster family was eating and so he has no idea what it going on? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-get-2-year-old-to-start-eating#post-1970115 Thu, 04 Dec 2014 03:40:48 +0000 Snowdrop 1970115@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thin liquids are usually the hardest to swallow so fingers crossed it shouldn't be a physical problem :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-get-2-year-old-to-start-eating#post-1970112 Thu, 04 Dec 2014 03:34:13 +0000 Kemma 1970112@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Can you just start with your LO sitting at the table with you while you eat meals? It might not help with the actual eating issues but I was thinking it might help him get the idea on the social aspect of food (and learning by watching you and your SO eat)? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-get-2-year-old-to-start-eating#post-1970110 Thu, 04 Dec 2014 03:18:36 +0000 SugarplumsMom 1970110@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would try laying out some small finger foods or snacks in front of him and start eating them yourself (saying mmm, yumm, delicious, etc ...). Let him watch you eat and in time he'll be interested. It might not work right away, but curiosity will win eventually :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-get-2-year-old-to-start-eating#post-1970038 Wed, 03 Dec 2014 23:20:33 +0000 Mrs. Twine 1970038@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm wondering, too, if not pushing would be helpful in terms of the bonding between the two of you, and with your husband as well. There is so much right now that is beyond his control. He's old enough to know that he is in a new place with new people, and to be worried about that, and to miss what he is used to. If you aren't concerned as much about his getting calories, maybe allowing him to choose not to eat solids right now (and Mrs. Jacks may be very right that there is a deeper reason than just trying to control *something* behind his refusal, especially since this isn't just since he's been with you) will be helpful. I hope you are able to get in with EI quickly, and that they are able to give you some more definitive answers about whether or not there is anything physiological going on with his eating. Definitely thinking about you and your son. &lt;3 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-get-2-year-old-to-start-eating#post-1970035 Wed, 03 Dec 2014 23:15:59 +0000 macintosh 1970035@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with Mrs. Jacks that he should probably have a swallowing eval. In my experience speech therapists do that (though my experience is with an adult - my husband). </p> <p>It shouldn't hurt to keep trying with purées and soft foods like yogurt. When DH was in speech therapy (after his brain injury) I learned that thicker soft foods are supposed to be easier to swallow than thin liquids, since thin liquids can run to the back of the throat quickly and can cause aspiration. </p> <p>Maybe you could model eating for him without pressuring him and see if he develops an interest. If he shows any signs of aspirating (coughing, gurgling sound in throat, watery eyes) I would stop.</p> <p>I'll bet your EI person will have some great ideas. Therapists are awesome. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-get-2-year-old-to-start-eating#post-1970011 Wed, 03 Dec 2014 22:47:53 +0000 MrsRcCar 1970011@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would follow the doctors recommendation of waiting for EI. We are having this issue with my youngest. He is almost 10 months old and doesn't take solids. We start our EI services next week but the week after (like the 16th).<br /> Is he interested in any kind of solid (like maybe ice cream)? Perhaps he could be bribed a little. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-get-2-year-old-to-start-eating#post-1970010 Wed, 03 Dec 2014 22:47:12 +0000 Ra 1970010@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do you need a referral with your insurance? B had feeding issues so we started taking him to a pediatric OT at a local hospital. Our insurance covered it as well as SLP services. We stopped once EI services began.</p> <p>Also, maybe look into developmental pediatricians in your area? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-get-2-year-old-to-start-eating#post-1970008 Wed, 03 Dec 2014 22:44:57 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 1970008@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>He needs a swallow eval before anything. He may be protecting his airway unconsciously. I wouldn't push it until evaluation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-get-2-year-old-to-start-eating#post-1970007 Wed, 03 Dec 2014 22:43:59 +0000 lawbee11 1970007@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It took my LO a long time to eat solids. The first solid she ever successfully ate was those yogurt melts. Also, she ate much better if I wasn't watching over her in the beginning. So I'd put some yogurt melts on her tray then walk into the kitchen and put dishes away. I could still see her and glance over, but I wasn't hovering. Maybe try that? I know he's a older, though, so not sure if that will work. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-get-2-year-old-to-start-eating#post-1970006 Wed, 03 Dec 2014 22:43:24 +0000 mrbee 1970006@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hotchildinthecity: How is his speech, and where is he on the percentile chart in terms of height/weight?</p> <p>Wondering if it might be an oral motor issue... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-get-2-year-old-to-start-eating#post-1970003 Wed, 03 Dec 2014 22:39:50 +0000 sunny 1970003@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Will he take milk from a spoon? Maybe it would get him used to eating that way and you could gradually thicken it?</p> <p>Or what about runny rice cereal in a bottle? I don't know if that would be recommended. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-get-2-year-old-to-start-eating#post-1969994 Wed, 03 Dec 2014 22:33:59 +0000 hotchildinthecity 1969994@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We learned at the custody of our son that he has pretty much never eaten any solid food, baby food, etc. He only drinks formula and milk out of bottles. We're trying a bottle trainer but so far he's refused it. When we try to feed him anything, he literally clamps his mouth shut. </p> <p>We went to the pediatrician today and he told us the best thing to do is wait to get our early intervention appointments scheduled. He gave us the same old advice--try baby food, biscuits, etc. </p> <p>We have our early intervention consultation tomorrow but it may take a while before we get the evaluation done, appointments scheduled etc.</p> <p>Does anyone have any other suggestions on what to do in the meantime? We have an arsenal of pouches, but he certainly won't suck on them and we can't feed them off a spoon when he clamps his mouth shut. He's completely uninterested in cereal, bread, rice, etc. I know we'll get some help with the EI but I feel like time is just ticking with my maternity leave and i'd like to do anything I can. </p>