Eating

[Sluice]

Hi,

Our son is 26 months old and weighs about 30 pounds.

He wants to eat all the time and I just want to know if this is normal or if we should try to create a "normal" eating pattern.

He always asks for snacks and at times will even help himself to crackers etc. (will pull a chair, get on the counter and get what he wants) this of course is done all very fast and it is not encouraged).

At this age should we let him eat when he wants, of course making sure that the food he has is good for him or should we set up a pattern of three meals a day with 2 to 3 snacks a day?

Here is an example of how he eats now:

Just about every hour he is asking for food, We say no if it is close to a meal time but at other times we let him have what he wants. He would eat pieces of apples, crackers, piece of muffin, orange pieces, dry cereal etc.

We have notices as well that at times when he is unhappy or upset, he will ask for food.

Any suggestions would be helpful. Thank you very much for all that you do.

[twins2000]

HI.  My son is 26 mos. & weighs 28lbs.  He is the most finicky eater I think alive!  His preference is crispy textured food and COOKIES.  He has such a sweet tooth.  He's hot&cold with foods. One day he'll eat it, the next scream at the sight of it.Sometimes he's even finicky about his sweets.Ever since he turned 1 his eating has gone done hill.He just qualified for speech therapy & I'm having him eval for O/T,because I think he has issues with texture (sensory), and a mild case of sensory intergration disfunction(hubby is ped p/t 7 knows something about this). I am also reading "the out of sync child" which focuses on this,and I see a lot of him in the book. I recommend it for anyone suspicious of SID. I'm hoping with treatment his eating habits will improve.  It's hard to tell with the eating what exactly is going on. Can anyone relate to my story, if so I'd love to hear your tale.

[Sluice]

I would love to hear from other parents about their child's eating habits at this age. Also, how tall and how much does your child weigh at this age.

Thanks

[Sluice]

I must also mentioned that his weight has leveled off and he has not gained weight since his 18 month check up

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Based on weight alone, your son is approx. at the 75% for his age, and if his weight is in good proportion to his height this is not alarming. However, if he continues in this pattern of eating it could well lead to his becoming overweight, and when this occurs during childhood it is very difficult to address. I think your idea of establishing more structure to the eating schedule is sound, and your specific plan sounds fine. You've also noticed his interest in soothing himself via food, and this as a rule should not be encouraged. Instead, help him to learn what he can do other than eating to feel better when he is in distress. Ask him "What will help you feel better?" and see what he comes up with. Self-soothing is a major skill to learn at a young age.