Any advice for slow-eaters?

[mocharita]

For me, my priority is to remind my kiddo to eat slowly and enjoy the food since he was a baby. I’m particular when it comes to digestion and good table manners. I don’t give him a time frame or an allocated time as when he has to finish his meals.


When he’s done with eating or uninterested (finished or unfinished food), I removed his plate. If he’s hungry later, I won’t fix him supper. I never have problems with feeding. My motto is “ You wanna eat, EAT. Don’t want to eat, Don’t. You are hungry again?? Too bad, kitchen is closed! It works fine and I don’t have problems when it comes to meals time at all.

[kids_r_innocent]

Yup... as for me, i will try to leave the tings tat they like to do, after dinner e.g watching DVDs and will try to ask them wat they would like for din. I will change the type of food tat i cook so tat they wun find it boring e.g Mon - cook porridge, Tue - cook noodles etc.

[rains]

fussyMummy:

Hi,


My DD is P4 this year...

I have same problem, been 10 years........~~~~!!! :clubmyself:

She is a slow-eater since baby... :x If force her to eat faster, then she will vomit out all the food at the end... :slapshead:

Remind... nag.... scold..... after all still the same... but if I never voice out, she can takes about 1 1/2 hours to \"enjoy\" her meal :faint: .... :stupid:

Hi,

I'm with you. My kid is also P4, and the problem has been around for 10 years. Everybody has scolded her for eating too slowly. I've tried all types of method I could think of: time her, limit her meal time to 20 - 30 min, scold her, take away her meal after time limit (which she's most happy with), feed her, dangle carrots like 'we'll go (here and there) after you finish your food', refuse her any food after mealtime even when she complains of hunger becos she didn't finish her last meal.

She often tells me she's 'very hungry' and when the food is in front of her, she doesn't eat, or in best case scenario, she takes a few mouthfuls and stops eating.

My kid's mouth doesn't move when there's food inside. She doesn't chew until I point at her cheek to get her to show me that it's moving.

I'm just short of taking a funnel and shoving the food into her throat.

[jesschan]

Rains,


Is your gal slow in eating or picky about food? My niece takes a very long time to eat when she is alone with my mum at home. But if I am there eating with her, her eating speed improves tremendously because she feels embarassed eating slowly in presence of other people …

[mumma_bear]

Hi, my son is also like that since he was 24 months. He’s already 31 months now and he’s still the same. Since he’s more on milk now, i let him on Pediasure Milk…he doesn’t get sick easily, that’s what I observed. I hope our problem though gets fixed 'coz it’s better if he takes in more solid.

I hope this is just a phase.

[sunset_dae]

Agree

My boy can eat real fast (less than 15 mins) if he eats his rice with soup.
Have to train kids to eat fast, set a time frame, max finish meal within 30 min, if cant finish too bad.
Chop meat up into smaller pieces, and no toys when eating.
But i will switch on TV for him so that he will quietly sit down and eat.
Sometimes he is too engrossed with his fav cartoons, and will open his mouth automatically and doesnt realised what he is eating!

pokemon:

i guessed rice with dishes are not the fav of the kids, thats why they are taking longer to eat compare to western fare.

Maybe can try snipping the meat n veg into smaller pieces, bowl of soup for them to drench the rice to make swallowing faster (at least hv some activity for them), if they can finish by whatever time you tell them, they get to watch tv for 15min, dangle their fav fruit or healthy dessert if they finish the meal fast. Lastly, make sure they are not fed snacks or junk food close to meal time, they may not be that hungry after all.

Although i have no problem with both my kids,but i realised when eating with frens, they tend to talk more than chewing, have to keep reminding them \"eat fast fast, then have more time to play. The longer u take to eat, left very little time to play.\" Sometimes it works.

[stayhome]

My ds is also the same as fussyMummy dd, he was a slow-eater since 1 yr old. If force him to eat faster, he will vomit out all the food at the end. I had to keep the porridge in the vacuum flask as he can take more than one hour. I try on TV during meal time when he was young, it help a bit. But still take as least 45 mins.


Now he is in P1, I use rewards system, cook food that he likes and change new type when you can see him start to eat slow. I always prepare stock to cook porridge and noodle, it really taste better and you can see him eat very fast. And one more, use cute food such as bear and star fish cake which I can get from market. Prepare the dish in colorful style and change menu every day. I will only repeat the same dish once a week.

These are the things I used so far. I know is very tiring but it work for me. He is taking 15 to 30 mins to finish his food nowaday.

[mumma_bear]

My DS (2 years old) is hard to feed. He eats slow most of the time since he’s sometimes distracted with a lot of things like the show he likes on TV, and the toys he’s eyeing to play. What I usually do is to do role plays with him, trying to race him in eating his food. When he consumes at least most of his food, i give him dessert (he likes ice pops or popsicle). If he doesn’t consume most of it, I tell him that he won’t receive any desserts (to which he often disapproves). So in the end, he ends up eating most of his food. But don’t get me wrong, there are also times that i get frustrated. Although a few good results is better than nothing. Hope this helps!

[Angelight]

Will slow eaters eventually grow out of it? Or will they grow up to be slow eaters as well? My DD also a slow eater, takes 45 min to an hr to eat :shock: Very worried that when she goes to school, recess time is not sufficient for her to finish her food.

[stayhome]

Angelight,


I tell ds to eat bread when starting of P1, as he can eat faster with bread. He ate noddle once but cannot finish within the time. I always make sure he finished his portion of lunch before school, so need not to worry if he just take only bread or light food like fish ball, egg and cake. Some parents pack lunch for their slow eater kid, you may want to consider.

My dd2 who used to eat slow but not as slow as my ds. She had out grow the habit sometimes in P2 or P3 cannot remember exactly.