2Yr Old Eats Everything, How Do I Discourge It?

J.,
Sounds like you need a mom-of-the-year award. I'm sure you're doing a great job!! Wow!! You have your hands full. But take care, things will straighten out.
As for your 2 year old eating machine . . . try putting out small, healthy snacks for her to munch on. Put them in places she can reach, where she can easily access them. She'll be more apt to "eat" something that tastes good than something just to chew on. She's also probably teething. Another answer may be that she's nervous, she's anxious about things. As you've said, you're home life has been turned upside down. (I pray your husband recovers). As a mom of 6, I've often found that in order to change a behavior, I needed to replace it with a positive behavior. When you take something away from her that's been in her mouth, replace it with a toy (while discouraging her from "eating" it) or something that's good to eat.
As for the potty training, leave it be for awhile. Like you said, your routine is just getting back to normal. Everyone is adjusting. Potty training will happen. But the more you push it, the more you fight, the less likely she's going to go along. I also have 3 (out of 6) children with ADHD, and associated disorders. They can be a handful just by themselves. But your son sounds like he's doing wonderfully!! And so will your daughter. Take one day at a time, your timetable for potty training is your own, not what society says it should be.
I applaud you for the wonderful wife & mother you are!!!
C. M

Hi J.,

This type of problem can be associated with a nutritional deficiency/autism and if your 7 year old has ADHD there may be some common components in your house. Go to http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/pica.html and see if there are any similarities. Please see the doctor for a diagnosis but know that meds can not fix this problem, only exacerbate it.

Nutrition and building the immune system are easy and inexpensive things to fix if you want to target it. My website www.go2harmony.healthyhometour.com can give you an idea if your environment is causing these issues. I have this website because my youngest was diagnosed with ADHD and had a leaning toward this behavior. We have been able to reverse her ADHD diagnosis so it doesn't even exist anymore.

Hope this helps. Feel free to get back to me if you would like to talk!

Regards,

M.

Take her in for sure! Also, you say she is fighting potty training, then stop that for awhile. Focus on one issue at a time and this is much more important. For the time being, get you family involved in looking around the house in their every day travels and picking up stuff like this so she doesn't get it. Hopefully, it is a phase that will end, but you will have to be vigilant until then. Take her to the doctor just to be sure and getting bloodwork for lead might be a good idea.

Talk to her doc because my pediatritian asks me if any of the kids eat paper trash or other things because of a disorder that could be present if they do those sort of things! Im not saying your child has some sort of disorder but it is something to look out for!
Good luck
K.
Ps my friends kid used to do that sort of thing and he had some sort of thing but I dont remember what it was called!

could she be trying to get atention? It sounds like there is a lot going on between your husband being newly wheelchair bound and your other kids in school. Maybe she is trying for attention? As far as stopping it, I would suggest going to your pediatrician. The only child I know who did this had lead poisoning....sorry. I wish I could be of more help. Good luck.

OMG take her to the pediatrician. there is a disorder called PICA where people eat non nutrioninal things. plus there could be another metabolic imbalance that she is subcounsciously trying to compensate for. Good luck

I'm behind on my e-mail and I'm sure someone has already told you this as well...
is it possible she is lacking something in her diet? A mineral, vitamin or something else? It could be she has an imbalance somewhere is is compensating in this way. Ask her pediatrician.

I would definitely take in for a visit with the pediatrician. She/he can address the potential causes for her eating non-food items.

As for the potty training, lots of times as moms we are told 2 is the magic number to get them going on it. They all have their own schedule for potty training. If she's fighting it, give it a break for a while. I can tell you what has worked for us. I put my son in regular underwear and set a timer for 40-60 minutes and took him to the bathroom when the pee pee bell rang. The first week I was ready to throw in the towel-poor kid wet himself, the floor, you name it BUT he did become very aware of what was happening and started putting it together. He hardly has an accident at home now. I can't tell you how many people told me "Oh, just stay home for a week and get him trained". Yeah right! It takes time and take comfort that she won't got to kindergarten in diapers!