Hi everyone!

I have a 2.5 year old DCG that used to eat her veggies (raw or cooked) but all of a sudden a few months ago that has changed. She's eating them with what doesn't seem to be any issues, but then all of a sudden she will start storing minced veggies in her mouth and not swallow any of it. (seems to be more with raw but still with cooked too)
After encouraging her to swallow, offering her drinks, giving her time, etc she just sits there and wont do anything with it. The first two times I've had to scoop it all out with a tissue, thinking that she ate too much at one time but I've been keeping a close eye on her while eating veggies and it's totally random. It's not even like she's forced to eat her veggies because I serve them their meals with a little of all of the food choices for lunch and she randomly eats (or stores) her veggies even when their is other food on her plate that she likes.

So, I'm at a loss. I've mentioned it to mom and mom says she seems fine at home.
I don't know what to do. I know if I continue to offer them to her, she will eat them and do the same thing (storing minced veggies in her mouth), and if I don't give her any veggies the other kids won't want veggies either.

Any suggestions, ideas or tricks?

Thanks

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Give her the veggies first so she has to eat them before the rest of the meal and has the full meal time to get them down.....unless you HAVE to offer all the food options at the same time per regulations.

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No, I don't have to offer all her food at once. The problem with even offering her veggies first, is she will still mince them and store them in her mouth regardless of when/how I serve them.
I served them to her first today and she still did it

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I don't have any suggestions for you, but I am having a similar issue. New dcg almost 2 yr old started yesterday. Today she is eating her snack (mini muffins) when she sticks one in her mouth (the whole thing) and just sticks it to the roof of her mouth and sits there. For a good five minutes. Drool started coming out of her mouth, she wasn't swallowing at all! I had to reach in and remove it all from her mouth. Then at lunch she was eating normally and then all of the sudden tried to shove a ton of food in her mouth. i stopped her and told her to eat what was in her mouth and she just sat there with the food in her mouth not doing anything. Then she continued eating a few minutes later normally. This happen 2 or 3 more times!

I thought it was weird??? She also doesn't talk yet. She sounds like she's talking but there is only 1 or 2 words that arean't gibberish? And when you tell her to do something she just freezes. For instance, dcg come back in here, we don't play in the kitchen. She stands frozen not moving at all. Until I have to physically lead her back into the room.

She also doesn't respond when I ask her if she wants more milk, more food, or anything like that. But she will follow some directions, like walk to the door. hold my hand, let's change diaper... I don't know if it's because she is new, if this is normally, or there is an issue...

Not meaning to hijack your thread. Just thought it was a somewhat similar situation...

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If this happened at my house I would scoop out their mouth and excuse them from the table if they refused to chew or swallow with prompting. It's not good table manners and anything relating to poor table manners means the child is excused immediately to go right to bed for nap or to sit and wait quietly while everyone else finishes.

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Hmm..Interesting. This DCG of mine speaks quite well and follows direction to a tee (unless she forgot her listening ears! haha)
I wonder if it's because your DCG is new and will come around in time or if there is something developmentally going on. I'd give it some time and see if things change. Good luck!

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I agree. I get the feeling this may be a control issue. She knows it frustrates you and thinks she can control how long she sits there etc.. Scoop it out of her mouth and excuse her from the table without a second thought. The novelty will wear off.

If her parents are telling the truth and she doesn't do it at home, then she's playing you.

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ditto....table time is when you need to learn how to show respect and manners.

you refuse to eat, clean up, go to toilet and nap
you get up from the table with food on your plate, do the above
You can't show good manners or respect your friends, resort to line 1
you hold food in your mouth, you are telling me you are not hungry, back to line 1
I could go on and on.

I hate meal times. I used to love them and use it as a time to read fun stories with the kids. But in the last year, so many of the kids have eating issues that I just flat out don't deal with the table time drama.

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I had this child not too long ago. She'd keep raw carrots that she'd mashed, chewed, and rechewed (eww) in her mouth for the entire lunch time. It was amazing what kind of defiance this child had when it came to, specifically, raw carrots.

Another child started copying this and once I saw food being stored, they'd be escorted to the trash can to spit it out (or I'd finger-sweep if they refused), and they'd sit down on "the rug" until lunch was finished. It's bad table manners and we don't do any of those at the table for mealtimes. Took a week and I've yet to see any food being stored ever again.

I'd gross me out each time, but I have a weak stomach when it comes to food not being eaten correctly.

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Sometimes I just want to stick them all in a high chair at lunch and turn them all around so they can't see each other. The horsing around that happens is getting out of hand. They don't seem to care about lunch at all, just doing goofy things; making faces at each other, laughing contests, do what I do (like looking under the table), and general gibberish language with each other.

When I try to refocus them on lunch and manners they look at me like I have two heads and laugh. What's up with that? When I do dismiss them from the table to the couch for not listening, they just play and giggle and carrying on.

I can't send them to nap right away because we eat in the dining room upstairs from the napping room. Oy, I'm going to have to get tough; this is not what I thought this was going to be like! Rose-coloured glasses are coming off now. Thanks for listening.

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Ah it's nice to know I'm not alone.
I'm going to take your advice and if she does this again ill get her to spit it out (or scoop it out) and remove her from table to sit quietly by herself.

Now when this happens do I tell mom she didn't have lunch and why?

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Lunch was offered, but she didn't eat it. End of story.

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She's two. Twos do that. I would just give everything as usual, and ignore what she's eating/not eating. She'll come around eventually--UNLESS you make it a big deal and a power struggle. It's not foolproof because you can't control how her parents are treating it, but still...when it comes to kids, the less power you give their defiance, the less they will do it. Especially in the two/three year old crod.

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It will pass. don't make a big deal about it unless the meal is over or she is choking . If either of those things happen have her spit it out in a napkin

Years ago I had a dcg who would do that with her milk it drove me crazy and it drove her dad crazy. dcm told the parents and teachers lady and she looked at her like mom was crazy. THAT is the only behavior issue you have???? Stop making a big deal about it and don't look at her when she does it It will stop.. and it did stop.

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