So I need help. Sean is refusing to eat dinner EVERY NIGHT.
We have tried everything, giving him stuff he loves, or stuff he has eaten several times.
Eating in the kitchen, or his play kitchen, in his special chair.
NOTHING.
I mean this has been going on for quite awhile and we thought he would eventually grow out of it. No such luck.
Every night there is a battle, he refuses, than cries, hits, meltdown starts.
I just don't know what to do. I am sure it is sensory related but I am not sure what to do before dinner so he will eat.
Like in order for him to take a bath we rub the brushes on his whole body for pressure.
For him to play with shaving cream, paint, he has to do the wheel barrel walk with deep pressure on his hands.
For him to get undressed we need to hold him tight with deep pressure.
What do we do to get him to eat.
He doesn't get a snack or milk after nap.
For breakfast he eats
Banana and Pancake minis (4) with a 1/2 cup of milk, or has a 60z yogurt with water, or oatmeal, or etc something small.
At school he gets a Dixie cup of milk or water with a few pieces of a snack
Lunch he gets a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or mickey nuggets 3, pasta, bologna, grilled cheese and fruit or applesauce with a 1/2 cup of milk or water
After nap nothing, sometimes water
Dinner he won't eat anything. We have sent him to bed with out eating several times, I feel bad but I don't know what else to do. If he doesn't eat he doesn't get milk either.
He eats breakfast at 7 AM
Snack at 9:30 AM
Lunch at 12 PM
Dinner 5:30-6 PM
Please help any ideas............................................................................................................
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
i wish i had advice, i don't, but i just wanted to say good luck with finding a solution. prayers...
Have you tried using a gum brush (like the ones you use on babies) on his mouth/tongue before dinner time? Or maybe serving him leftovers for lunch from dinner the previous night and do the nuggets meal at dinner to see if that makes a difference?
Or have you tried a jiggler meant for feeding? I'm pretty sure that's what it's called. I used one of those for a boy I used to sit for that had Down Syndrome and had a lot of sensory problems when it came to eating.
I can't agree that refusing dinner is a sensory issue from what you wrote.
Who is helping you with all the sensory techniques? Seems as though you might ask that person.
Barbara
Hi again,
Daniel went through an eating strike as well. I'm not sure if it was sensory or just age (maybe a combination of both?), but it was sure frustrating! Rest assured, Sean will eventually get through it. Here's one suggestion that Daniel's OT mentioned for oral sensitivities: try using a kid's battery - operated toothbrush to help stimulate his muscles. That may help him to overcome his oral aversions.
In the meantime, mashed potatoes mixed with his other food might help. You can try shredding his meat and mixing it into the potatoes with soft, diced carrots and/or peas. That's one that went over well with Daniel when he hurt his teeth and couldn't chew for a week. A food processor may be your friend for now. You can also get some good ideas at wholeometoddlerfoods.com.
Finally, does he eat peanut butter? This sounds gross, but you can make him a peanut butter and banana smoothie. Put about 1/4 cup of peanut butter, a very ripe, sliced, frozen banana (if he can't handle it frozen, a regular banana works fine), and a cup of milk into a blender. It tastes, more or less, like a peanut butter and banana sandwich. If you can get him to eat a piece of bread or some whole - wheat crackers, he'll be good to go. Good luck!
Post a Comment