Do you have a toddler (12 mo+) who refuses to eat a solid meal and/or is still waking at night?! You are not alone. Picky eating and night waking are concerns I hear a lot from parents! As a Speech Therapist and Sleep Consultant, I am qualified to address both of these issues. I have pin-pointed a common factor that could be adding to, or even causing, these frustrations.
I want you to stop and think about your child’s day. Now, I want you to think about the amount of times you are poring milk into a sippy-cup and giving it to them. Be honest, how often are they getting a big-ole cup of milk? If it’s more than a small serving WITH MEALS, we may have found the culprit.
FYI, I am not anti-milk. I don’t think you should stop serving it altogether! I do, however, think you should stop serving it in these situations:
- Before/after/ in-between meals
- Before a nap or bedtime
- While they are just chilling on the couch watching tv
- If they are upset and use it as a comfort item (red flag for potential sleep issues!)
Picky Eating
Let’s deep dive a little more here. If you child is a picky eater or refuses to sit down and eat a real meal… really think about their milk intake. If it’s pretty high, they most likely just AREN’T HUNGRY! Same thing goes if your child is having a snack every 30 minutes during the day. They are satiating their hunger just enough to not be interested in a meal! Not to mention, a ton of dairy can be extremely constipating…which affects appetite as well!
Solution? Move milk servings to only be served with a meal while they are sitting. If they choose to only drink the milk, that’s on them. But they do not get another serving, and certainly not when the meal is over to “fill them up”. That continues this vicious cycle you are already in. Offer them water, and maybe an occasional juice, for their fluid intake and watch as their appetites magically grow!
Night Waking
If you have a toddler that is still waking at night, it could be due to a myriad of reasons! If you are having trouble putting the puzzle pieces together, never hesitate to reach out to me and book a free consultation. We can discuss whether a 1:1 sleep plan would benefit your family!
Now, if your toddler is drinking a sippy cup of milk as part of the bedtime routine… we have have found the culprit ( or at least one of them). We don’t want milk to be a comfort item. Milk right before bed can cause blood sugar to spike/turn their digestive systems on in the middle of the night and cause their bodies to wake up. Not to mention, it’s bad for their teeth! Create a new bedtime routine, minus the milk, and see if that helps fix your night wakings!
If any/all of this seems overwhelming, I’m here to help! If you don’t know where to begin with your child’s picky eating and night waking, we can book a quick-fix call to review some strategies! I want you to feel confident in your ability to get some better habits in place and get your toddler eating and sleeping so much better!
As always, I’m here for you! You got this!
xoxo,
Elizabeth