2 year old with food phobia

[tamirra]

Hi, i need help with ideas with food and the best way to deal with feeding my 2 year old grand-daughter as she has a food phobia and hardly eats anything, she is very under weight and wears mainly 6/9 month old clothes, so you can imagain how small she is for a 2 year old, any ideas, advice or help would be so much appreciated as we are all so worried, we have tried all the things we can possibly think off, she wont sit up at the table and eat with others, she wont eat when her friends at nursery eat, we leave food about the house hoping she will go and take it, we make games of it, we are at our wits end. Please help. Thank you

[tamirra]

Abdul_Majid thanks for that, you`ve made me feel so much better.

[tamirra]

Plus Abdul_Majid she NOT an IT shes a little girl!

[growbag]

Hi
I would suggest that your granddaughter's parents ask for help from a Health Visitor. She needs to be weighed and measured to check that she is growing ok. I imagine she's had a bad experience with food (possibly choking?) but whatever the casue she and her parents need some advice and support.
When my older son was about 18 months he went through a phase of only eating bananas, yoghurt and weetabix. I went along with it for a few weeks figuring he'd grow out of it, and then called my Health Visitor who was very supportive. I've also asked for help with other (non food) issues with the kids and have always found them helpful.
This problem needs to get sorted. If your son/daughter doesn't take her to the GP or the Health Visitor to seek help and then your grand-daughter becomes ill as a result of her not eating, then things might look quite bad for them.
I hope it gets sorted out soon, must be very worrying for you all.

[Nosha123]

Abdul - thats really not very helpful advice - its extremist and frightening and frankly unecessary. This poor woman realises the seriousness of this little girls condition.

To Tamirra: You need to try to find someone to help you more. WHat about the TV programmes who deal with food phobias... or a well known child counsellor... It may be a long shot but could you contact GMtV.. or the GMTV Doctor...
I think you need to raise the profile and start shouting a bit more about it... There HAS to be someone out there who can help! Sorry I cant offer more advice and good luck

[Nosha123]

OOh look at this link.. wonder if you can track down the Psychologist on this TV programme for help...
http://www.dooyoo.co....ild-wont-eat/1097481/

[Nosha123]

Child Psychologist Dr Gillian Harris

[China Doll]

Dr Gillian Harris, a child psychologist who runs a feeding centre at Birmingham's children's hospital.

[tamirra]

Thank you for the link Nosha123 ive just sent her an e-mail, lets hope we get somewhere now. Thank you again. xx

[tamirra]

You just wouldnt dream of force feeding a toddler its just a no no you DONT do it, i wouldn`t even do it to a dog, i really dont know where you get off on saying things in this manner.

[Nosha123]

In the nicest possible way 'Abdul_Majid'

go away!

Your advice is poor - out of date - and archaic.

Lets hope you never get ill and refuse your food - your family will ram their grubby little fists down your throat!

[Nosha123]

To tamirra
Well done on finding the email address for the Psychologist! She is obviously an expert in her field and has had much success! I hope she will be able to help and then add your Grandaughter to her list of successes!
It sounds very Psychological to me... her size and frame are the physical symptoms yes - but you have to treat the cause to improve this - as you clearly already know!
The internet is also invaluable for finding help and advice. I do hope others here have helped you - with the exception of one poster.
Good Luck!!!

[tamirra]

Thank you so much Nosha123 for understanding my concerns, as for the ignorant poster, you can tell he will never become a father not with an attitude like that as no woman in her right mind would give him one, or a baby. Thank you and take care, its a shame i cant keep you posted on the outcome. xxx

[cherrychapstick]

it is abduls opinion and you have to take all advice or it will come a time when thats exaclty what doctors are going to do i am sorry this may sound bad but when the doctors do it the little girl is going to be in a hospital bed with tubes down her throat ,my advice to you if buy the yougurts she does like put them where she can't reach them tell her she can have one if she takes 1 mouthful of food if she doesn't she doesn't get one simple and keep to it she will eventually give in and have one and then the next day make it 2 mouthfuls and so on the reason i would do this is she can't just live on yogurt all her life she has to eat something else also

you have to be cruel to be kind i'm afraid

[tamirra]

She is only 2 cherrychapstick she wouldnt understand what i was meaning, if she was 3 then yes maybe, but not ye,t but thank you for your advise.

[tamirra]

China doll thank you for info too. x

[cherrychapstick]

you will be surprised what a 2 year old understands,she knows that by doing what she is doing she is ruling the home and getting attention ,when you open the cupboards and she slams them shut what do you do? do you let her away with it ? when your children were toddlers if they slammed doors or throw there bottles i bet you treated them different to your grandchild

i am not for 1 minuite saying she never got it before