Sophie has apparently decided she's anorexic. In the past, food had typically been a source of great enjoyment for her, usually because it not only tastes good, but it also doubles as a fashion statement. Now, well, I guess she got sick of me blowing raspberries on her belly or squeezing her squishy thighs, and decided starving herself was the solution.
I knew my niece was in trouble the day she refused her bottle. Her bottle! She not only shook her head emphatically when I held it out to her, but actually burst into tears when I tried to tempt her by putting the nipple against her lips.
There isn't a responsible Auntie in the universe that wouldn't be concerned by such behavior. I immediately set about looking for a solution.
So, bottle was out. I'd managed to get about half a thing of mango banana baby food in her, but that was hardly enough to sustain energy and life. I moved to the next great idea - apple juice in a fun, pink and green sippy cup. Surely, what baby can resist such a pretty package?!
It worked!
Sort of.
She sure liked the package, alright! She grabbed that sippy cup, shook it upside down and all around, and attempted to feed me with it. I think a grand total of about 3 drops made it into her mouth, which then proceeded to flow out in the stream of drool that was making its way into her shirt collar.
Sippy cup fail.
Next I tried a bit of psychology. I picked up the bottle she had rejected, stuck it in my own mouth, and said, "Mmmm! Yummy yummy warm milk!" Then I held the bottle up to her again, but got yet another emphatic shake of the head.
For the record, warm milk is NOT yummy yummy.
Next came peer pressure. Now, I know it's controversial to suggest using peer pressure for positive reinforcement of a principle, but this is not peer pressure in its commonly conceived sense. That kind of peer pressure, the kind that encourages young children to smoke pot and get pregnant, consists of expressing derision and contempt toward the subject. I prefer to think of my methods - using the "everyone's doing it" device - as showing popular support for the cause.
I went to the kitchen, and returned with an orange, which I then proceeded to peel. While peeling, I made sure to express great desire and admiration for the citrus ball of deliciosity ("Oooh! Doesn't this look YUMMY, Sophie? Mmmm! I can't WAIT to try this yummmmmmmmmy orange!") Then, I pulled off one of the pieces and popped it in my mouth.
"Wow! This is so yummy! Here. Eat one."
Another head shake. Then she grabbed the orange out of my hand, and held it up to me to eat.
At least she knows how to share.
Well, I'm trying to make her think everyone's doing it, aren't I?
So, I bit off the end and ate it, hoping she's stick the rest in her mouth. Instead she took the remaining slice of orange, and smashed it into my lips.
Peer pressure fail.
I did manage to get a few pieces into her mouth, and she chewed them happily, once they passed the lips.
In fact, one piece of orange remained in her mouth for over 5 minutes. I was a little concerned about that, until she opened her mouth wide and I saw it was a solid piece of pulp.
That child needs molars.
Luckily, she washed it down with a nice gulp of juice! From the sippy cup!
Victory!
And then, just a mere hour later, she shoveled down the rest of the mango/bananas, plus a container of ham 'n' gravy... which smelled disturbingly like a can of cat food... AND the bottle she'd refused earlier. And, to top it off, she even used my sleeve as a napkin, tenderly resting her head on my shoulder, and being sure to wipe off her mango/bananas on the way down.
So, if we can learn a lesson from this, it's that toddlers really do like to eat. If your baby is displaying anorexic tendencies, simply wait in out. Be patient. Eventually, since they have the attention span of ADHD puppies, babies will forget they're not intending to eat, and the little "Feed me!" voice in their tummy will win out.
So be patient with your baby! That is the only way to overcome the growing plague of infant anorexia.
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