My 4 year old is deliberately throwing up, help?

Question

My 4 year old has decided if he doesn't like the food he's given, he refuses it. Period. If you insist he eat some of it, he deliberately throws it up right at the table.

These are not hard foods for a child, we're talking oatmeal, calm foods that aren't upsetting his stomach, he just doesn't like them. I've got 5 kids, he's the baby, and I've NEVER had one of them act like this! I did have him checked by our doctor, who said it's behavioral, not physical like GERD, etc.

I have had it! Anyone have any suggestions to stop this?

Answer 1

I've had problems similiar to this.  My second child would stick his fingers in his mouth and gag himself.  We had to tell him no, no and that's it's yukky without getting upset.  It's more of an attention thing.  If you act as if it doesn't bother you, then he should soon stop.  You'll just have to act casual, and say something like, "oh well, I guess you're not getting anything more to eat."  Clean him up, remove him from the eating area, and clean up the mess.  Then stick to your guns: no more food or snacks until the next schuled eating time.  If he wants something, offer him water and that's it.  If he refuses to eat, then just take his plate (save the food if it's savable) and remove him again from the eating area.  

Soon, he'll get really hungry and will want to eat and will figure out that you mean business and that refusing and throwing up he isn't getting the reaction he wants.

Edited:  when my son did this he was only 2 and he understood exactly what he was doing and learned that we (father and mother) we not going to put up with it, so he stopped after missing a couple of meals here and there.

Answer 2

If he is deliberately and willingly throwing up, punish him. Make him clean it up and then send him to bed without supper.

EDIT: I mean if he is DELIBERATELY and KNOWINGLY throwing up on his own--ie making himself gag on it. If he cannot tolerate the texture, don't punish him.

Answer 3

My suggestion would be to stop having anymore kids so you can give your attention to each one of them so that they don't have to fight for it and do weird things to get more of your time, and yes, is all in their heads and not anything physical.

Answer 4

He is 4 and going through a phase.  Ask him what he wants and let him eat it just so he is eating something.  He will soon grow out of this and eat like the rest of the family.  I think he is trying to see if he can get away with it.  You know testing his boundries.  So don't play into it. Say..'okay then what do you want to eat for breakfast, lunch etc...'   As soon as he sees that it doesn't upset you he'll be on to something new.   Good Luck!

Answer 5

I would suggest further investing what is going on. If, your son is making himself sick, because he doesn't want to eat what he is given. Or if it's something the doctor may have over looked.

You can do this by giving your son what he wants to eat. I do not suggest doing this for every long. Maybe just a day or two, to see if he'll keep what he wants down.

If he can't keep it down. Then try allergy tests. I watched an infant, that would shove her hand down her throat. (this was at 8 months of age!) As time past, and with a diet book (keeping a written record of what your this infant eat and when they gots sick.) We learned that she was allergic to peas. Once peas where taken out of her diet, she stopped making herself sick.

If you son is being picky: Don't allow him to ruin the families meals. Tell him after he makes himself sick: he will eat, after  the rest of the family. I would still require him to sit with the family during meals.

I require to him to eat after everyone else so that he can not make himself sick in front of the family, and I would not  offer him anything different. He he choices not to eat, don't worry too much. he will eat enough to stay alive.

Don't give in and give him snacks between meals.

Another option would be to allow him to pick what he wants to eat for one meal a day, like breakfast. Give him the choice to have oatmeal, or cereal, or toast. This allows him so control a little control over his body, and life.

Good Luck!

Answer 6

maybe the texture of the foods is what makes him throw up? my daughter cannot eat oatmeal, jello or any other gooey, mushy foods.

Answer 7

did you have him thoroughly checked. Sent to a specialist for these things. A primary physician can't just look at a child and say that it is "not physical" . There are tests that need to be ran. Before you read the rest, please know that I am not referring to you as being a bad mother. I just think that you need to speak to a specialist and have tests done before you decide that he is doing it on purpose.

When I was 4 years old, I had a stepmother who kept forcefeeding me because i would vomit anything she tried to feed me. Then she started to smack me around because she thought I was doing it on purpose.

Finally by the age of 6 as I am practically on my deathbed, my dad decides to get me into a doctor and have some tests ran. I had previously been to a different doctor who did not see the warning signs and told my step mother i was fine.

After the tests, I had to spend a month or two  at the San Fransisco University Pediatrics getting surgeries done and recovering from the surgeries. I had a serious birth defect that could have not been seen without doing the proper GI tests and xrays.. I would have died if i did not get that intervention from my father. .

At the age of 6 my insides were only the size of an 12-18 month old. And I couldn't handle the types of foods that were being fed to me. She was feeding me the same foods such as oatmeals, soups, cereals, hot dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches. Any other foods you'd feed a 4 year old.  

Anyhow, its a rare condition in females, but it exists, and is more common in males, so please before you decide, please have him thoroughly checked out.