my five y/o will not eat, he has no appetite for food and never really has, he gags and cries when he does eat, weight is falling off him and he is not growing at what i concider a normal rate, we have even tried fast food that is attrative to his age group, even though he has amazing energy, sleeps well, and is up with the rest of the class, i am at my witts end and i feel it is a huge problem, we are stern at times and soft the other times all angles have been tried, i am starting to think it may be an internal issue, my wife is starting to blame herself and is taking it fairly hard, hope you can help
Mick
Many children eat very little but manages to survive anyway. Do not nag him but let his own apetite decide. See to it that there is always his favourite food there in case he gets hungry. Notice his preferences and serve that in his room. Children can be very conservative in their choice of food. Many children find it easier to eat alone sitting in front of the TV. They eat so slow and little, that the family is provoked by watching. It is important for you to not loose you temper in front of him so that his eating habits become a powerstruggle between you. It is sometimes easier for the child to drink a glass of milk after the food rather than eating a full meal.