My 3 yr. old has decided she doesn't want to eat anymore, is this normal for a child her age?

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Yes, it's normal. Actually what our doctor told us to do is offer food every 2-3 hours. Don't cut out snacks, just make sure they are healthy and will add to her overall nutrition. Toddlers get at least 25% of their nutrition from snacks. So here is what we do: we give him breakfast - if he eats that's ok, if he doesn't - that's ok. Then 2 hours later I give him a healthy snack, then lunch, then snack, then dinner then snack.
He gets to choose what and how much he eats, and I get to feel like at least he's eating something. You also need to remember that forcing her to eat will make her have control issues over food and that can cause eating disorders later. Also, a serving for a toddler is small - just a tablespoon of something counts as a serving.

I found this great quote. It says "you are responsible for the what and where of feeding your child. Your child is responsible for the whether and how much of eating." Offer nutritious foods, and let her eat. She will not starve herself, I promise.

Trust me, it's much less stress when you do it this way - I was going crazy trying to get my son to eat, then I talked to the doc and read up on it. When you let yourself off the hook and let the child decide how much she needs to eat, you will both feel better....Show more

I am going through the SAME thing right now. For the last two weeks my three year old will only take one or two pieces of dinner and that's it. I have been pulling my hair out. I have tired the "ok you won't eat anything until morning because when its dinner time its time to eat: and that doesn't work. I am going to try what another poster said about the couple hours things. I have noticed also she has been eating less in the morning and afternoons. She is eating more at those times than dinner but i will try smaller meals more times a day and starting doing snacks again. Im just glad that her 3 year check up is next week so if this keeps up i will talk with her dr. Funny thing is i have been working with kids for over 9 years now but i guess its always different when its your child, everything you know about kids just goes out the window. Good luck and just know you are not alone. ...Show more

It's completely normal. She's discovered the one thing she can control: what enters her body. Here's the best way I have found to deal with it. Whatever is for dinner is for dinner. No short order cook business. You put the food in front of her and set a kitchen timer for 30 minutes. Don't have a huge discussion and don't pressure her to eat. If she eats, she eats. If she doesn't, then dinner is over, end of discussion. She doesn't eat again until the next meal. Period.

When she begins to realize that battles won't work (it'll probably take two or three days), she'll just start to eat when the food is put in front of her. Kids won't starve to death. As long as she's in the normal weight range, you have nothing to worry about. Don't take away toys/tv for eating. Cut out snacks all together or at least make sure they're healthy. Think: yogurt smoothies, fruit, cheese cubes, cheese sticks. some cut up veggies, or whole grain crackers. Nothing else.

She gets one dessert a day and that's after dinner and only if she eats her entire dinner.

EDIT: I forgot to mention what serving sizes should look like. She should be following the food guide pyramid, but the serving sizes are not the same for kids as adults. Fruits and veggie servings are 1/4 cup. Poultry is the size of the palm of her hand. That said: a typical dinner should be 1-2 chicken nugget sized pieces of meat, 1/4 to 1/2 cup of veggies, and 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of fruit and 1/4 cup of rice, potatoes, or a half slice of bread. Dairy (ie milk) is 4-6 oz....Show more

There is a common misconception out there about children and feeding. Pediatricians commonly say that children will "eat when they are hungry." For the majority of children, this is true. However, there are some children that are picky eaters that will frequently starve themselves for days.

It is it is just a matter of her only wanting to eat certain foods, well, you can use those foods as rewards for eating the foods you want. Children should have about 6 small meals a day. Additionally, cut back on the juice or milk an hour before meal times so she will be hungry.

If she starts to lose weight, I would talk with your pediatrician.

Good luck....Show more

My daughter is 3 and she sometimes does the same thing. I find that when it is dinner time I tell her that its a snack because as soon as I say dinner she says shes not eating. I know what you mean about the bribing, I hate to do it also but sometimes there is no other way. I mean they need to eat. I hope she starts eating for you, I know its not uncommon for them to go through stages like this though....Show more