Eating Issues

[ABCDaycareMN]

A 2yo girl I have will eat food. But she first licks it and will chew it but not swallow it . When she is done she will stuff her mouth full to get down from the table. I always send her back to the table to finish chewing her food. She will but it takes awhile.

She does the same with drinks. Will take a big drink and leave it in her mouth.

Is this common? How can I fix it?

[Heidi]

I would say make two plates for her, and transfer a little at a time to the plate in front of her until she learns "little bites" and "swallow before more".


My children have to ask to be excused. In order to do that, their mouth needs to be empty...

If someone is too little to say it, I say "do you want to be excused?" and wait for a response of any sort, even just eye contact. Still, mouth would need to be empty before they get up.

[Willow]

I think it's because a lot of parents allow their kids to be "grazers" at home eating, playing, eating, playing, eating all during the same meal...or worse yet they allow them to snatch bites off their own plates while running around.

I had lots of kids like this until I made a rule that everyone stays at the table until everyone else is done. There is no rush to stuff their faces to finish and get back to the toys first, or if a slower eater sees others finish up to feel anxiety over being last. I don't care if you eat fast, slow, or not at all. Everyone stays put until done, mouths get wiped, everyone is excused to go dump their plates together and then everyone goes to wash hands together.

Might a new routine like that help her establish better meal time habits?


eta - I wouldn't make a big deal about the not swallowing. She likely gets attention for it which is why she does it. If she doesn't get any there it should stop eventually. If she ends up hungry at the end of the meal for all the delaying that in and of itself should have more impact than anything you could say to her.

[CrackerJacks]

It could also be a sensory issue. I've cared for several children over the years who have oral sensory issues and this is one of the things they ALL did.

[LK5kids]

Could be a sensory issue, but yes parenting in the last 10 years has so changed in the area of eating. I have had parents tell me they don't prepare a meal and their kids just eat whatever they want throughout the day

Also, my kids don't get down from the table until excused and/ or the majority are done.

[Heidi]

It could also be a sensory issue. I've cared for several children over the years who have oral sensory issues and this is one of the things they ALL did.

Come to think of it, my nephew did the stuffing and ****ing thing, too. He's 18 now and at some point outgrew it. Definately a sensory thing for him.

The only thing you can do is strategize ways to curb it, right? There is really no "cure".