DCG Eats So Slowly!! Advice?

[SilverSabre25]

I've discussed it with her mom and she does it at home too. Today it took her ten minutes to eat half a saltine cracker. I'm not kidding. She takes the tiniest little nibble-bites of things and then chews them way more than is necessary for such a small amount of food. By the time lunch was done (and it included a time limit set for her) most of the food was still on her plate...because she was eating so slowly. She didn't seem to mind having to leave her food...but still.

This has officially gotten to a point where I feel it needs dealt with, but what I've tried hasn't worked. Has anyone successfully cured a three year old slow eater/tiny bite taker?

(I know that it drives her mom nuts, but her parents have very few parenting skills beyond "time out" so I don't want to discuss tactics at home with them until I have something working here, so I can say, "Here's what's working! You should try it!")

[SilverSabre25]

Also, what I've tried over the past few weeks/months has been ignoring what she is/isn't eating (my usual policy), setting time limits for her, and verbally encouraging her to eat faster. Anything I try usually results in her freezing and starting to cry. *sigh* She is SO sensitive...

[MsMe]

I was a slow eater as a child (still kinda am) although I don't think I was THIS slow

Maybe try to give her just one part of her meal at a time and set smaller time limits for each? Instead of her whole lunch plate and 20 minutes...Just her main course for 7 minutes, then starch, veggie, fruit for 5 each? mayby it would help her pace herself a little?

I have neve had to use this but it might be worth a try?

[MarinaVanessa]

I have one of those ... I should say had. She was a VERY slow eater but liked to talk a lot while she was eating. All of the other kids would be done before her etc and either she'd want to get up before she was done so that she could join the other kids in play but then a short while later she'd be asking me for food because she was hungry (from not finishing her food) or she'd sit at the table well over 45 minutes even if it was just a snack .

She's also my most sensitive DC kid, DC kids would walk by her and just barely brush by her and she's crying because so-and-so "hit her" .

I think all of what you tried should work in time including setting time limits. If you continue to give in just because she cries then it's worth it to her, it's working and she'll continue to do it. I did everything that you do with my DCG and even though she'd cry at first I'd just let her. I'd offer encouragement and redirect her if she was focused on talking more than she was eating and I'd set a timer by her so that she could see how much time she had left. Once that timer went off the meal was over. If she wanted to play before she was finished and then later asked for food I'd remind her that she had said that she was done and that the next meal/snack time was in xx minutes.

Yes she would still cry but she figured out that she wouldn't get anything from me including attention if she cried so she's much better now. Of course it's been almost a year now. It's a gradual change but you'll get there.

[cheerfuldom]

time limit and dont give her much to begin with. If she needs a lot of time to eat, mom and dad can catch her up on the amount at breakfast or dinner. This isnt your problem to solve. I am also assuming that she has no special needs or any other concerns. Sorry OP, you aren't going to win this one. I have a special needs girl that is super, super slow and even though she is 2.5, I still feed her. I wouldnt do that for an average child though.

[SilverSabre25]

OH, I never said I give in to her because she cries! She cries at the drop of a hat, and always has. If she doesn't calm down quickly, it results in her being excused from the table. I don't play that game.

The slowness has just reached a new low, that's all. It's getting worse, not better, with each passing week, and has been going on for at least four months now.

I am just wondering if anyone had other ideas beyond what we've been doing.

[SilverSabre25]

time limit and dont give her much to begin with. If she needs a lot of time to eat, mom and dad can catch her up on the amount at breakfast or dinner. This isnt your problem to solve. I am also assuming that she has no special needs or any other concerns. Sorry OP, you aren't going to win this one. I have a special needs girl that is super, super slow and even though she is 2.5, I still feed her. I wouldnt do that for an average child though.

She's certainly not diagnosed with any special needs. My sister and I were discussing it recently (her boys are going in for some evaluations for some "quirks" they have) and she was suggesting that it might be getting time to suggest her parents have her evaluated--her emotional difficulties are getting worse, not better, with age. But I don't think her other "quirks" would be causing the slowness...

[Blackcat31]

Have you tried having her eat alone? I had one like that and it turned out o be the atmosphere. She was so busy watching everyone else that she "forgot" that she was suppose to be eating too!

I have one smaller table (for over flow on busy days) and I put her at that table with her back to the others. Now she is almost always my first one done.

[SilverSabre25]

Have you tried having her eat alone? I had one like that and it turned out o be the atmosphere. She was so busy watching everyone else that she "forgot" that she was suppose to be eating too!

I have one smaller table (for over flow on busy days) and I put her at that table with her back to the others. Now she is almost always my first one done.

Ooo, that's a good suggestion. I will have to find a good way to try that.

[Ariana]

Have you tried having her eat alone? I had one like that and it turned out o be the atmosphere. She was so busy watching everyone else that she "forgot" that she was suppose to be eating too!

I have one smaller table (for over flow on busy days) and I put her at that table with her back to the others. Now she is almost always my first one done.

I was going to suggest this too but you beat me to it This might help if she's feeling anxious while eating.

Another option is to stick her in front of a tv and see if that helps at all. For my DD it does the opposite but it might work for her?

[Meyou]

I would try a shorter timer and having her eat alone as well. My problem eater works best with a short time limit and sometimes he still eats alone because he's super social as well as slow as a turtle. He figured out the timer quickly enough that he was budgeting how much time he could waste and still eat enough so I had to shorten the time limit for him.