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  1. I had to email this to Jon at work. We have a 41 inch, 30 pound, 4 year old. We seriously just hit 30 pounds. At this rate he will be in his car seat through high school into college. I am okay with that though 🙂 We started doing something called a snack tray when we moved here. It is a sectioned thing (like they use at bars for the cherries and olives) with 4 different snack choices. I am looking now, today it is baby carrots, Pirate’s booty, craisins, gold fish. It varies day to day. But what is left is gold fish and carrots. Regardless, this is his for the day, he can eat as much or as little, as often or not through the day. We put it up for breakfast, lunch, dinner. It has stopped the constant “I am hungry”, “I want a snack”. It teaches him self regulation (the portions are decent and there is enough in this tray that would add up to all the snacks you distribute in a day). He is not a goldfish fan or a carrots fan, so later on when he is hungry he still has snack choices, just not the one he *wants. He needs to finish his breakfast every morning before I will get a snack tray started. By the time dinner rolls around the carrots will probably be left so I save them in the tray for tomorrow.

    1. Okay, Tracy and Irene, I might be over-estimating Eliza’s weight. She might be more like 31 pounds. Tracy, I like the idea of the snack tray, if only to offer different varieties on a daily basis of major food groups (a whole grain, a fruit, a vegetable and a dairy maybe). I might start doing that. My kids definitely eat good breakfasts, so I generally try to get some vegetables in them then. For example, I make spinach and cheese quesadillas, or I add a spoonful of pumpkin or sweet potato puree to their oatmeal. The evening hours are definitely the most stressful for me. I think the hardest part is realizing I need to take my emotions out of it. They WILL eat if they’re hungry. I can’t allow myself to get all worked up about them not eating what I want them to eat and when I want them to eat it.

  2. Dang it. I just wrote a super long reply and it didn’t take. 😦

    Long story short, we use a 5 star system a day to get J to eat with a reward of wearing her princess dress on Saturdays. It totally works. That being said, I still have a 4.5 yr old who weighs 28 lbs…so…what can you do.

    1. Oh no, I’m so sorry it didn’t work! I was wondering what the princess dress/star system was. That makes sense, especially if it works! I think J has a fast metabolism (like my kids do) and she’s just going to be on the thinner side. There’s a scale for a reason – generally, you fall on it somewhere and someone has to be the 1-5%, right? 😉 I also keep telling myself that my kids don’t eat the junk that a lot of kids their ages eat. I would rather put healthy food in front of them, and if they refuse it, that’s their prerogative. Because the next meal will be healthy, too. There are probably a lot of kids who eat McDonald’s for half of their meals.

  3. It’s so refreshing to read this. When we ask our 4yo what he wants to eat, he says, “Chips and milk.” That’s about all he will eat, besides the occasional breakfast item. He eats no fruits or vegetables and the only “meat” he will eat is bacon. I’m still fighting the battle with him as he gags or refuses to try or even touch new foods. I’ve consulted various specialists who have given varying opinions. We’re waiting to see if he gets into “food school” this summer. Keeping our fingers crossed!

    1. Hi Kathy, that sounds really hard. I’m so sorry it’s such a tough situation for you! I bet food school would help. Sometimes textures are really bothersome to kids, or the color of their food bothers them. Maybe if you add some green food coloring to his chips, then you can get him to eat green foods? It’s just a thought. Having a “rainbow” of food might be a fun way to get him to eat. But maybe you’ve tried everything. I certainly hope things improve for you soon. Hang in there!!

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