i highly recommend ellyn satter "child of mine" on all things feeding. made me feel better about my skinny young toddler's eating (i.e. he's normal!) and gave me some concrete tips to help give some structure to his mealtime. basically, offer meals and snacks at set times (we try to follow daycare schedule at home) and make sure each meal/snack is "complete" (carb/protein/fat). also, trust your kid to know when they're full/hungry.

are you eating meals with your kids? in my experience, my toddler tends to eat much, much better when we are at the table eating with him. (so for me, distracting him with music/books/tv would *not* work at all - he'd be super-mesmerized by them and wouldn't eat and would just want to read the book or dance or whatever)

I'd second the nanny - I really wouldn't worry about distracting him through stories - I can understand the feeling that it's underhanded and coercive to slip food in while he watches TV. And for him, you are trying to get him to be interested in food, understand hunger, satiety, etc.

Time to develop good dinner habits later, when they are older. 18 month olds are still toddlers, and aren't ready for a family mealtime complete with conversation, etc.

That being said, I do think if you sit down and talk about (it might be a bit of a monologue) about your day, that might keep their (his) interest. So, today, remember how much fun we had at the pool? You both swam a lot, and then remember the spashy part? And then what did we do? We walked to the park, and saw the ducks again at the pond. The baby ducks are growing up, aren't they? Then what did we do? We came home, had lunch, napped, and then after that we had so much fun with the tunnel. Maybe tomorrow we'll invite X and Y to come and play with the tunnel. Blah blah..... of course, not overly long, and always based on what you did that day..... not quizzing, but one sided conversation. Leaving space and time for them to add words as they have them, or to nod and acknowledge that they remember or had fun.

But the oral stories sounds like a great idea, too. Because it does mimic conversation, and because you could memorize (roughly) some of those stories and also their favorite books and tell them during meal time. Both twins would love it! And if he's interested in the story, perhaps he'll at least sit there, and then, perchance, to eat!

Now, you might not know lots of fables and fairy tales. So you might want to remind yourself of 3 Billy Goats Gruff, The Gingerbread Man, The Little Red Hen, Goldilocks and the 3 Bears, etc.

But another option, especially at this age (18 mos) you might want to tell a favorite book out loud, complete with dramatic language, lots of vibrant exclamations, etc. Consider yourself an actor.....

So here are great toddler books that lend themselves to remembing them and retelling without having to also hold a book, etc. And, as you are telling them, you can be handing him something to eat, or whatever you do. Or not.


Silly Sally Went to Town - this is a well-loved book for toddlers written by Don and Audrey Wood. If you don't have this book in paperback AND in board book version (it's a bit shorter, but it's great for on the go) then you really should - all parents of toddlers need this book! I could recite right now for you, and I haven't read it in several years.... but it's so catchy. Silly Sally, went to town, walking backwards, upside down, on the way she met a Pig, a Silly Pig, who danced a jig.... and so it goes....

The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear - again, written by Don and Audrey Wood - please get the paperback regular version and the board book - again, board books have been shortened and you miss out on the beautiful illustrations. And it's easy to remember and "read" out loud.

(King Bidgood and The Napping House are by the same authors but they are for older children - but remember them when your twins are 4 years old...)

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin
The Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle

(there are of course others by Eric Carle, but I think those are the ones that lend themselves to reading outloud without the book - easy to remember)

I think you need to think about his needs around eating, food, hunger, etc. as very different from the typical toddler (you have one of each!) and really tailor what you do with him to what he needs, and what your nutritionist suggests. Do they have him drinking a fortified formula, or carnation mixed into his milk, or more fatty foods (you mentioned avocado), things with protein, etc. Butter on his veges, full fat milk, yogurt, cheese, avocado on lots of things, etc.? I know those are suggestions I've heard in the past for children who are underweight.