egoldber
04-12-2004, 10:26 PM
Sarah used to eat pretty regularly, 3 main meals and 2 smaller snacks. She was always a hearty breakfast eater until recently. But in the last few months her eating habits have become very odd.
She now often skips breakfast entirely (i.e., eats 2 bites and is done). I offer a morning snack, but she wants none of it. At lunch she sometimes eats well and sometimes not. After her nap, I offer her a snack and she refuses. By 5 pm she is STARVING and gobbles down usually a pretty good meal. At 7, I offer her a snack, which is usually pretty substantial (yogurt, fruit, maybe some cereal and milk). She eats and is in bed by 7:30.
The problem is that this isn't the "real" bedtime anymore. She dozes and fits and stirs and eventually wakes up crying between 8 and 9, wanting to eat. I have tried not giving her food at this time, and very occasionally this works. But 9 nights out of 10 she will cry until we get her up and feed her. And she will eat ANOTHER huge and hearty meal (maybe another yogurt, more cereal, more fruit/veggie). She will then happily go to sleep and sleep through the night.
In some ways it doesn't bother me. But in other ways it really irks me. And it drives DH crazy.
Here's our schedule:
7:00 am breakfast - usually only a few bits and 4 oz of milk
12:00 lunch - sometimes hearty, sometimes not, and 4 oz of milk
5 pm dinner - hearty meal, 4 oz milk
7 pm snack - eats well plus some water
7:30 bedtime
8-9 pm - second snack - hearty snack plus some water and maybe some milk
She gets water throughout the day. Occasionally (maybe once or twice a week) she will ask for juice, and I give it to her.
Any thoughts?
She now often skips breakfast entirely (i.e., eats 2 bites and is done). I offer a morning snack, but she wants none of it. At lunch she sometimes eats well and sometimes not. After her nap, I offer her a snack and she refuses. By 5 pm she is STARVING and gobbles down usually a pretty good meal. At 7, I offer her a snack, which is usually pretty substantial (yogurt, fruit, maybe some cereal and milk). She eats and is in bed by 7:30.
The problem is that this isn't the "real" bedtime anymore. She dozes and fits and stirs and eventually wakes up crying between 8 and 9, wanting to eat. I have tried not giving her food at this time, and very occasionally this works. But 9 nights out of 10 she will cry until we get her up and feed her. And she will eat ANOTHER huge and hearty meal (maybe another yogurt, more cereal, more fruit/veggie). She will then happily go to sleep and sleep through the night.
In some ways it doesn't bother me. But in other ways it really irks me. And it drives DH crazy.
Here's our schedule:
7:00 am breakfast - usually only a few bits and 4 oz of milk
12:00 lunch - sometimes hearty, sometimes not, and 4 oz of milk
5 pm dinner - hearty meal, 4 oz milk
7 pm snack - eats well plus some water
7:30 bedtime
8-9 pm - second snack - hearty snack plus some water and maybe some milk
She gets water throughout the day. Occasionally (maybe once or twice a week) she will ask for juice, and I give it to her.
Any thoughts?