I have a 2 yr. old (3 in Jan.) who has some developmental delays and is small for his age. He weighs 25-26 lbs. He is in the 3rd percentile for height and weight. He has been put on pedisure 3xs daily. The only problem is he refuses to drink any flavors at all. Any suggestions on how I can get him to drink it?
Put a straw in it, or better yet, buy a really cool sippy cup, or cook with it, cakes cookies, oatmeal, cereal
Good Luck,
D.
Hi C.,
I have some ideas to share with you based on my own experience. My own children were in the 3rd and 5th percentile in weight and they are now healthy 12 and 16 year old boys.
My questions to you are, How does your soon look to you? Has there been anyone else in the family who also was on the smaller size as a young child? Is there really something to worry about?
And on another note, if your child's family genetics are such that his size and weight are normal for him, then forcing him to eat more calories than his body needs can lead to adult obesity. This happens because he will be taught to ignore his body fullness signals.
Also, if your child is breastfed or recently weaned, I would like you to know that the World health Organization came out with new growth charts for breastfed children in April of 2006.
The charts are all in Kg so please remember to convert weights before plotting.
Here is a site for converting lbs to Kg
http://annica.in-cyberspace.net/en/lbs_kg.html
Here is the link to the new charts.
http://www.who.int/childgrowth/standards/weight_for_age/e...
This might be helpful when you go to the doctor.
Now on the subject of options. If it is nutrients that your son is needing there are a lot of food based supplements out there. You get better results with food based supplements than artificial ones like Pediasure. Juice Plus is a very good research based brand and they have soft chewable vitamins. (I do not sell this product.)
This is from thier website:
JP+ Gummies® is a healthy alternative to candy and other unhealthy snacks, offering the whole food based nutritional goodness of Juice Plus+® fruit and vegetable juice powders in tasty "gummi" form. JP+ Gummies® tastes great and contains less sugar than regular gummi products. And what sugar there is in JP+ Gummies® comes only from all-natural sources.
Here is the link below
http://www.juiceplus.com/nsa/pages/OtherProducts.soa;jses...
Next, if it is calories that your son needs there are a lot of ways to add hidden calories such as adding oils to a fruit smoothie or shake. If you need ideas on how to do this you can email me with your son's likes and dislikes. I have a lot of experience with fussy eaters.
I hope this gives you some more options for your son.
Take care,
R. George,CD(DONA),PCD(DONA)
Have you tried adding like chocolate or strawberry syrup to stir in or anything like that
i know you want the best nutrition for your kids, so if they wont drink pediasure, just add alil bit of ovaltine(a chocalate powder drink mix that the europeans have used for years as a health drink) and mind you that a am a mom that only eats organic food, and natural ingredients... so dont be worried when you see chocolate...kids love it and it is something that will benefit them too...oh and be careful with pediasure.. make sure that the doctor says they need it, because it can hurt the kidneys and kiver if too much is had... just keep them on a dail vitamin( i recomend rainbow light nutri- stars..not flintstone vitaimins..)
have you tried letting him pick out a "special" cup at the store? something with his favorite cartoon character on it? or maybe buy some silly straws. when my daughter has the flu and needs to drink lots of fluids i always let her use straws and she thinks it's fun and ends up drinking more. maybe even let him drink small amounts at a time out of a regular cup. it will be good practice for him and also will make him feel special. you might also try something sillly like pouring the pediasure into a bowl and have him use a straw. or use a water bottle. anything out of the ordinary that is used just for his pediasure.
My son is also 2 and on pediasure for his weight and he also refused to drink it. I did a lot of research online and I found that Carnation instant breakfast has the same ingredients. You mix one package in 6 ounces of milk. He absolutely loves in and if you go to their website you can get coupons monthly.
have you tried freezing it like popcicles or ice cubes for making a snowcone. I am a cna and was working in a nursing home and there was a gentleman who had been on special diets and he still needed suppliment drinks like ensure but he complained it was making him gag because it was thick so we started putting it in his milk and in the summer time we froze it and he was ok with that. As long as he gets it 3 cans or servings a day it don't matter its form and he will think he's getting a special "ice cream" treat.
GOOD LUCK
Love a fellow mom
maybe you can make an icecream shake out of it. Maybe freeze it into a popsicle. Or offer some sort of prize after he drinks it. It is for his health, so a few toys a day is ok. Maybe a chart. After he drinks it so many times he gets a big prize. Maybe you can all drink it together. Maybe let him drink it out of a fun medicine syringe. Umm. I can think of any more. :)
Good luck!
i have twin girls who are 3 with the same problem put it in ice cream and make it a milk shake the girls love it hope this works for you!!!
