This Child Can Eat!!

[jenboo]

DCB is 15 months old and eats as much as my 4yr olds! DCM and I both think that he would eat and eat as long as he has access to food. He has no "off switch" when it comes to eating.
I have never seen a kid eat like him either! He takes handfuls and shoves it into his mouth. He will try shoving more in and his mouth but its so full, pieces are falling out! DCM said he has been doing this since they started him solids.
He gags every time he eats because his mouth is so full. When i limit the food in from of him, he constantly tries to keep getting up to get more food from me. When he finishes all his food, he tries to take food from everyones plate. Then when im sweeping, he tries to eat the food from the floor. He cries for food anytime he sees it as if he is hungry.
I do not think he is always hungry. He eats sooo much at meals. I truly think he would eat until he pukes if i kept putting food in front of him.

Its just so weird. I have never seen a child eat like this and I have no idea how to teach him to not shovel food into his mouth.

[melilley]

I have a child here who can eat also! 17 mo old dcb out eats everyone here, including me! He shovels it in his mouth with one hand while holding his spoon in the other, some how he doesn't gag. I don't want to be mean, but I honestly cannot watch him eat! He is the littlest thing too, I don't get it. His older bro. was the same way when I had him.

[Play Care]

I have a couple of big eaters in my dc, but they do get full. The fact he's trying to eat from others plates and off the floor is a concern, IMO. It could single a disorder. I worked with kids who had Prader-Willi syndrome and that was common behavior.

[jenboo]

I have a couple of big eaters in my dc, but they do get full. The fact he's trying to eat from others plates and off the floor is a concern, IMO. It could single a disorder. I worked with kids who had Prader-Willi syndrome and that was common behavior.

Interesting. He seems pretty normal in all other aspects. He is solid but i wouldnt say fat. he started walking a few weeks ago but walks on his tippy toes. The dr told the parents to massage the muscles in his feet to help them relax. He has had a hard time relaxing/flattening his feet even before he started walking. I guess mom was the same way. He is starting to say a few words. He is strong. he plays normal.

[Blackcat31]

Interesting. He seems pretty normal in all other aspects. He is solid but i wouldnt say fat. he started walking a few weeks ago but walks on his tippy toes. The dr told the parents to massage the muscles in his feet to help them relax. He has had a hard time relaxing/flattening his feet even before he started walking. I guess mom was the same way. He is starting to say a few words. He is strong. he plays normal.

I don't recall off hand but that is a concern too.... I remember learning/reading/hearing that walking on their tip toes is a sign for something bigger...

Maybe do some Googling and see what comes up.

If I remember what/where I read the info, I'll come back and post it.

[Blackcat31]

Ok....I Googled it and it says it is fairly normal for new walkers but CAN be a sign of other issues in conjunction with other developmental delays.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/toe-walking/basics/definition/CON-20034585

"Walking on the toes or the ball of the foot, also known as toe walking, is fairly common in children who are just beginning to walk. Most children outgrow toe walking. Kids who continue toe walking beyond the toddler years often do so out of habit. As long as your child is growing and developing normally, toe walking on its own is unlikely to be a cause of concern.

Toe walking is sometimes the result of cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy or another generalized disease of nerve and muscle. Children with autism also may walk on their toes or the balls of their feet, but many do not."

[jenboo]

I don't recall off hand but that is a concern too.... I remember learning/reading/hearing that walking on their tip toes is a sign for something bigger...

Maybe do some Googling and see what comes up.

If I remember what/where I read the info, I'll come back and post it.

Any ideas of what i should watch for? Parents are totally open to me talking about their childs development with them.
Mom had mentioned to me the other day how he started banging the back of his head on the wall and floor. She asked if I though there was something wrong with him if i would tell them. She was worried because she has seen autistic children doing it.
I have worked with many autistic children varying on the spectrum. Nothing really points to autism that I have seen before. I do know that it is a huge spectrum and every child is different. He doesnt do the head banging here but I know there are many different reasons for it including attention.

If there is a concern about his development, I definitely want to talk with mom about it. I'm not sure what to look for thought.

[CraftyMom]

If it were me I would not be comfortable with that. You have to watch him every second while eating to make sure he isn't choking. I'd definitely talk to the parents and suggest they talk to his dr to rule out an eating disorder. I can assume they would procrastinate this but I would not take him back until the dr makes a judgment or the parents will put it off forever. Explain the importance to the parents, who are likely not as concerned, that your eyes can not be on him every second of meal time and there are other children needing attention and during that time he could choke. If he has no eating disorder I would explain as best I could to a 15 month old that he could choke and show him the proper way to eat. Then only give him a small amount at a time so it is not possible for him to shovel it in. Also have him sit in a high chair so he can not get up and look for more. I had a similar situation. The boy was 2, this tactic seemed to work. Eventually he figured it out and I could trust him with his full serving. I had another child who would just eat anything she saw as if it were hers, she would finish her food then eat from everyone else's plates. In that case it was the parents allowing her to do so at home. After a lot of repeating myself at meal times that she had to eat from her own plate she finally stopped, but that took a while.

[jenboo]

If it were me I would not be comfortable with that. You have to watch him every second while eating to make sure he isn't choking. I'd definitely talk to the parents and suggest they talk to his dr to rule out an eating disorder. I can assume they would procrastinate this but I would not take him back until the dr makes a judgment or the parents will put it off forever. Explain the importance to the parents, who are likely not as concerned, that your eyes can not be on him every second of meal time and there are other children needing attention and during that time he could choke. If he has no eating disorder I would explain as best I could to a 15 month old that he could choke and show him the proper way to eat. Then only give him a small amount at a time so it is not possible for him to shovel it in. Also have him sit in a high chair so he can not get up and look for more. I had a similar situation. The boy was 2, this tactic seemed to work. Eventually he figured it out and I could trust him with his full serving. I had another child who would just eat anything she saw as if it were hers, she would finish her food then eat from everyone else's plates. In that case it was the parents allowing her to do so at home. After a lot of repeating myself at meal times that she had to eat from her own plate she finally stopped, but that took a while.

I sit next to him and give him a couple bits at a time. DCM does the same thing but DCD gives him the whole serving at once. I only have 4 kids right now so im always able to sit next to him. He hasn't choked yet, just gagged (although, i know that doesn't mean he wont choke). I will ask mom if they have asked the pediatrician about it. I know he is in a high chair at home. I don't have one here for him but I put him back in his chair when he tries to get up.

[jenboo]

I also noticed today that he doesn't understand how to take bites of food.. If i give him a mini muffin, he doesn't understand how to bite it, he tries to shove the whole thing in his mouth. Even when I try to help him, he just holds his mouth open.

Maybe because his food has always been cut up into small pieces? I have never had a child who didn't eat regular..This is a new learning experience for me. I have no idea how to help him eat better.

[NeedaVaca]

Any ideas of what i should watch for? Parents are totally open to me talking about their childs development with them.
Mom had mentioned to me the other day how he started banging the back of his head on the wall and floor. She asked if I though there was something wrong with him if i would tell them. She was worried because she has seen autistic children doing it.
I have worked with many autistic children varying on the spectrum. Nothing really points to autism that I have seen before. I do know that it is a huge spectrum and every child is different. He doesnt do the head banging here but I know there are many different reasons for it including attention.

If there is a concern about his development, I definitely want to talk with mom about it. I'm not sure what to look for thought.

Have a professional take a look, tell mom an evaluation with the birth - 3 program might be in order. It doesn't hurt, better safe than sorry and if nothing else it's peace of mind if they find there is nothing wrong. Sounds to me like there could be something going on...

[jenboo]

UPDATE: DCB had a Dr appointment yesterday. He is right down the middle when it comes to height, weight, etc.
I have really been working on him with taking bites of larger pieces of food, not stuffing his mouth, etc. It has been going really well and I have seen lots of progress. I think he was never given the opportunity to take bites off of larger pieces (his food was always cut really small) or taught to chew and swallow before putting more in his mouth (DCD lets him stuff, DCM limits the food on his plate)

The Dr tried to flatten his feet and even when they were completely relaxed, his feet still would not go flat. DCM is making an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon (perfect because DCD works for one!). So glad it is muscle related and not something else. Hopefully it can be fixed and he will be able to walk on flat feet.

[Country Kids]

My daughter had a friend that walked higher up for years-not so much tippy toed by heals never on the ground.

She had to have something done to her acilies tendon to lengthen them.