Child won’t eat in school

[Anonymous]

Six year old headed to first grade. K was half day, so we could manage. Absolutely won’t eat in school. Anyone here who has experienced the same problem. Worried sick about how child will come in a full day setting.

[Anonymous]

Cope not come

[Anonymous]

Why? Anxiety? Have you seen a therapist?

[Anonymous]

Anxiety. What therapist? Behavior therapist who will go to,school?

[Anonymous]

And work with child?

[Anonymous]

I worked with an 8 yr old who would not eat anything at school. He ate breakfast at home and apparently ate a whole lot when he went home. He was very healthy, energetic, smart and happy. I wouldn't worry about it, if he eats at home.

[Anonymous]

Thanks PP. are you a teacher?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PP. are you a teacher?

I am a paraprofessional. I spent all day everyday with this kid, and I and others did whatever we could to get him to eat, but ultimately he would not. A few bites here and there, just to please us, but basically he could not tolerate eating at school, mostly medication related. So in the end we had to accept that he would do his eating at home. And like I said, he was fine healthwise. Actually, more than fine.

[Anonymous]

I'm a teacher, and I've definitely seen kids do this, particularly when transitioning to a full day. I'd do a couple things:

1) Load up on protein and fat for breakfast. Scrambled eggs with cheese, and a glass of whole milk, orr whatever your kid will eat.

2) At home practice eating easy favorite finger foods, out of easy packaging. So, if goldfish or blueberries are his favorite, on weekends serve a ziploc baggie of blueberries with his sandwich. If a cheese sandwich is what he likes, make one, cut it into pieces and wrap it in a napkin (easiest option) and have him eat it that way.

3) Send 1 thing in his lunchbox each day, in the same packaging that you've practiced. Don't send a whole lunch, until he's consistently eating one thing, because it can feel overwhelming to look at a full lunchbox. (But stash something shelf stable in the bottom of the backpack, because for some kids the day that they get over this, they're super hungry, so having a back up helps).

4) The second you pick him up, let him eat what he has from his lunch box, whether it's in the car or on the playground or the second you walk in the door from the bus (whatever works). Then give him other filling food after.

5) Don't give it a lot of attention, just be matter of fact about it.

As long as total calories, and total protein and fat and carbs are OK, he'll be fine while he figures it out. A little grumpy perhaps, but fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PP. are you a teacher?

I am a paraprofessional. I spent all day everyday with this kid, and I and others did whatever we could to get him to eat, but ultimately he would not. A few bites here and there, just to please us, but basically he could not tolerate eating at school, mostly medication related. So in the end we had to accept that he would do his eating at home. And like I said, he was fine healthwise. Actually, more than fine.

Op, a para professional in public schools gets a weeks worth of "training."

Please see a professional and consider an anti anxiety medication. My kid has gone through this and it only got worse with time. You may need to have it incorporated into an IEP at some point if it gets worse.

[Anonymous]

Plus it may not confine itself to just school. It may happen at in other settings--birthday parties, traveling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PP. are you a teacher?

I am a paraprofessional. I spent all day everyday with this kid, and I and others did whatever we could to get him to eat, but ultimately he would not. A few bites here and there, just to please us, but basically he could not tolerate eating at school, mostly medication related. So in the end we had to accept that he would do his eating at home. And like I said, he was fine healthwise. Actually, more than fine.

Op, a para professional in public schools gets a weeks worth of "training."

Please see a professional and consider an anti anxiety medication. My kid has gone through this and it only got worse with time. You may need to have it incorporated into an IEP at some point if it gets worse.

I’m not a para, but most have a lot more experience with kids with SN than regular classroom teachers.

Some kids, SN or not, don’t eat at school. The majority of them are fine. Load him up at breakfast and have a substantial snack ready for the ride home.

[Anonymous]

I would work with a child psychologist who specializes in treating kids with anxiety. Often they will work on distress tolerance in very tiny steps, like carrying his lunch but not eating it. And then maybe eating a snack in the car in the parking lot, and then taking a few sips of a drink. And then maybe an M&M... it’s a slow process but should be designed to give him the feeling of success at each small step and show him that he can tolerate and then move beyond the feeling of distress.

I agree that he will probably be fine without lunch, but you also want him to learn the lifelong skill of overcoming anxiety.

[Anonymous]

What kind of accommodations does she already have? Is it possible to add something to her IEP/504 about a quiet break time or lunch in an alternative location where she might be more comfortable eating?

And would she drink? What about a protein shake she could sip on?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PP. are you a teacher?

I am a paraprofessional. I spent all day everyday with this kid, and I and others did whatever we could to get him to eat, but ultimately he would not. A few bites here and there, just to please us, but basically he could not tolerate eating at school, mostly medication related. So in the end we had to accept that he would do his eating at home. And like I said, he was fine healthwise. Actually, more than fine.

Op, a para professional in public schools gets a weeks worth of "training."

Please see a professional and consider an anti anxiety medication. My kid has gone through this and it only got worse with time. You may need to have it incorporated into an IEP at some point if it gets worse.

I'm the teacher PP above.

First of all, I'll point out that paraprofessionals often have a lot of wisdom from experience. No, they don't have a lot of formal training, but OP posted on a parenting board, and paraprofessionals have more training than parents do. Your snobbery towards them in ridiculous.

Not eating at the start of the first year of full time school is not uncommon. Yes, if it persists it can be a sign of anxiety, but it sounds like OP's kid hasn't even started school yet. There are plenty of things OP can do to encourage eating. If this persist past a few months, if behavior shows that he's miserable from hunger, or if he's also showing other signs of problematic anxiety, then involving outside professionals makes sense, but now is too early.