Hey Ladies,

Over the last few weeks Noah hasn't been eating much. Dinner time has become an absolute nightmare, to the point where I'm in tears from all the stress! Every time I try to give him something to eat, he pulls away, yells and screams, grabs what is in my hand and throws it all over the floor and then throws the biggest tantrum! The fact that it is happening at every lunch and dinner (mainly dinner), is really worrying me. He isn't teething or sick, that I am aware of, I think it is just big tantrums! He has never had a problem with eating before and I know he is hungry because he will eat the things HE wants! (but I can't just give him cheese and yoghurt all day, every day!)

It actually started to happen a couple of months ago when he started to become "addicted" to cheese sticks. All he wanted was cheese. He would point at the fridge and yell out for it! I had to stop buying him cheese just so he would eat other foods. It then settled down, but now the same thing has happened but with yoghurt. The problem is, it seems to have gone beyond that now, as I have almost stopped giving him yoghurt until he gets past it, and he just goes crazy for anything he can see - other than his food, eg the salt or pepper shakers, the tomato sauce, a plate or cup on the table. He just points and screams until he gets it.(Maybe it's because adults use them?)

It literally takes me two hours to get him just to eat something sufficient for dinner, and it's really taking a toll on things!

Has anyone, please please please, anyone gone through this or something similar with a child around Noah's age?? (he's 20 months).
I don't want to give up and let him go to bed hungry! I have had suggested to do it and then see if he does it again, but I am at my wits end with this, and he is still so young!

I apologise for my over load of exclamation marks
I also apologise if anyone replies and I don't respond until the weekend

Any advice welcome and desperatley needed! Thanks in advance

If he's hungry he will eat. My dad and stepmum had that issue with their son. He's 3 now but right after he turned 2 he went through a stage where all he wanted was peanut butter and banana sandwiches.. my dad and step mum gave him that for breakfast but that's it.. they made what they wanted for lunch and dinner (they made things he typically liked and would eat before his phrase) and if he ate it great if he didn't they didn't push him too.. once he realized its that or nothing he would eat if he was hungry.. if he didn't eat they would give him his untouched dinner for a bedtime snack or when he started asking for food..
I wouldn't be too concerned.. apparently its common for kids to do that.. thankfully my daughter is only 7 months old and hasn't hit that stage

I don't have that problem with Aidyn or Kaia at all, but Aubie is kinda into that right now. She always says she's hungry, but she'll only eat certain things (peanut butter and jelly, chicken nuggets, cheese, fruit, candy). At Noah's age as long as what he will eat is healthy I wouldn't stress about it too much, but if you run into this in a couple years (like me with Aubie) it could become a problem. I'm to the point now where I don't give her an option, she eats what the rest of us eat, when we eat, or she doesn't get anything. I've been doing this for about a week and it's finally starting to sink in that she's not going to get her way with it. If you're worried about Noah's nutritional needs then talk to his pediatrician. He/she can probably suggest something that might help and/or ease your mind.

Ahh, my daughter will be 3 this year and she used to be just like that. She would only eat pudding or peanut butter and jelly.
It's a phase, and he will get over it. Well, at least Mikah did anyways. If she wanted a pudding cup or two for dinner, well that's what she ate. She eventually got over it after seeing us eat different things and especially around the time I started giving Akaisha people food this year. She is still very picky about what she eats and doesn't eat, but she doesn't throw her temper tantrums anymore!

Now I'm so confused

The reason I'm worried is because the things he wants to eat make him constipated when he eats them as often as he wants (well the cheese does anyways!). I don't know whether to just give him what he wants, (plus some prune juice every now and then haha) or not give him anything else and see if he finally starts to eat normally when he reaslises I'm not going to stuff around for ages feeding him every meal, and he either eats it or he doesn't, but I'm not sure if he's too young for me to do this??

I think if it doesn't settle down in a week or two I might book him in to see someone. Thanks ladies for your advice and experience, nice to know he's not the only strong minded child out there

Oh, I just thought of another thing. Do you actually sit and feed him still or do you just give him a prepared plate and let him feed himself? If you're still sitting and feeding him then he may just be trying to gain some independence by feeding himself. You might try that to see if it helps any.