Feeding A Toddler

Since Kaitlin was able to consume solids, I've been getting lots of comments from other people that Kaitlin is very small in size for her age as compared to her other peers.

Some come across as concerns, while others kind of seem like they are questioning how I bring Kaitlin up - if I'm feeding her enough, if I have been feeding her too healthy that's why she's not gaining weight and the list goes on. While those concerns mean well, I won't lie that at times I get very frustrated. To the point that I would question myself at times.

I'm sure there are parents out there who face the same problem as I do and can totally understand how frustrating and annoying it can be. If you are one of those parents reading this, hey..at least now you know you aren't alone!

Even though the paediatrician has told us that based on her height and weight Kaitlin is on the lower percentile and thus will be more petite as compared to her peers, being her mom I am of course worried. There are so many worries like will she be bullied by her peers because she is smaller. Whether it be intentional teasing or accidental pushes cos she is small and no one notices her. I am also worried that she would be lagging behind her peers when it comes to getting physical at her school's gym.

However, after much observation and discussion with her teachers I am very glad that she isn't lagging behind in any way. Of course, there will be instances where she would be pushed or hurt accidentally by her peers but those I can understand as it is part of growing up. Thankfully, there has been no intentional bullying that I've to worry about.

I know bringing up a child as a first-time mom can be pretty difficult and at times we would even question our own decisions. I wouldn't say I'm the best example to follow, but I thought I would share Kaitlin's food intake here, just to give you an idea of what our toddler consumes and how much.

For food portions, I do know that Kaitlin eats the same portion as her classmates and almost always finishes her food. In fact, she has made improvement from when she was in Playgroup class - she has been eating faster, and finishes before most of her classmates.

Besides that, I feed her three meals a day and also a morning snack and teatime snack. Since Kaitlin was able to consume solids, I have been cooking for her. I strongly believe that homecooked food is better than those that you buy packaged in bottles or packets at the supermarket. Here are some previous recipes I have shared before on this blog.

I also like to be prepared so I always make sure to bring snacks for Kaitlin be it organic puffs, bread or fruits. This in case she feels peckish, I don't have to worry about having to get food.

For drinks, Kaitlin drinks mainly plain water, milk powder, and fresh milk. She also drinks fresh fruit juice and smoothies which I usually make for her afternoon snack. Occasionally, she does get to drink sugar cane juice, yakult and milo.

Feeding wise, we face two problems. First, being that at times Kaitlin would take extremely long to finish her food. Sometimes a meal can drag for an hour. The other problem being that Kaitlin has a habit of leaving food in her mouth and not chewing. This of course leads to a longer meal time as well. I won't lie. It can get super frustrating and there have been a couple of occasions where I lost my temper. We still face the problem but we are trying hard to rectify it by talking to her and encouraging her to finish her meals faster so that we can move on to other activities or by using incentives. We also demonstrate to her to chew and swallow and ask her to compete with us to see who's mouth is empty first.

I hope this post has helped you to gain a better idea of what a 2 going on 3 years old toddler's food intake is like. Every toddler is different, some may eat lesser than others while others need more food. So if your child is almost like Kaitlin, and you are worried..don't be! You aren't alone.

Personally, I think your child's intake of food is perfectly fine as long as your child grows up happy and healthy. No issues of weight loss or side effects of allergies and rashes. Most importantly, know that you aren't the only parent out there having food struggles with your child. It doesn't make you a horrible parent. We all face some form of food struggle with our kids, it's just that not every parent talks about it.

This post is part of a linky started by Estella of So Oddly Dreamlike where other parents share their eating struggles with their kids, as well as give tips that have worked.


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