Thursday, January 21, 2010

Toddler Feeding Problems



This is part 2 of my problems after Ella turned 2. I don't know if I'm an exaggerated parent or if I'm really having problems because Ella doesn't regularly eat solid food.

First I'm not sure if her teeth growth is delayed but picture this: She got her first teeth on the month of her first birthday, got the 2 bottom front teeth, 4 teeth beside the 4 front teeth, the 4 "pangil"-like teeth after a year and six months. I compared her to kids her age and most of them have completed their primary teeth by 6 months to 1 year.

Because of this, she had difficulty chewing food when we started giving her real solid food after the mashed ones. As she approached age 2, when she's had enough eating her meal, she'd throw up and I get to see the same chunks of food I fed her. I pitied her and I became more lenient with her eating solid food. She drinks a lot of milk and when we asked the pediatrician if it's enough, she said it is enough as long as we see that she's coping with the standard growth levels of kids her age.

Just a few months before becoming 2 years old, she grew 4 molars, and is yet to grow 4 more. But because she had not been used to eating solid food, she is not used to chewing. She still throws up the same chunks of food I fed her. And that's if she'll ever allow any solid food to enter her mouth.

To resolve this issue, we stopped giving her milk unless it's time to sleep. She cries a lot everytime she asks for one but we were firm in not giving her milk hoping she'll be hungry enough to ask for food. But she doesn't. I'm worried she might get ulcers of the stomach.

I've read and found out that one way to resolve this would be to prepare a variety of healthy finger food , preferably with dip, where kids can accesssibly take them when they want to. Table life of such food would be around 1-2 hours. This could work, however I'm also thinking, wouldn't it turn out to be messy and expensive?

I don't want to force feed my daughter as it will give her an unpleasant eating experience and may affect her behavior in the future. But does anyone have other ideas? How did you resolve eating problems when your children were toddlers? Or should I even be worrying about this?

your every woman,

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