How to help child with ADHD eat?

Question

My 4 year old was diagnosed with ADHD but is not medicated. He has a hard time eating because he’s distracted by everything around him. He’s underweight. His 2 year old brother nearly weighs as much as him. The doctor told me to buy him Pediasure shakes but he doesn’t like them because they’re thick. He only drinks water. He will eat snacks on the go but not a lot. For meals he is so distracted by everything around him. What’s out the window. A toy in his room. His brother. The dog. He can’t focus on eating. I am not sure what to do. I’ve bought a toddler chair and I strap him in it so he can’t get up and run around. But he just rocks back and forth and squishes his food. He will not eat. I don’t know what to do. Today he has eaten-
A slice of watermelon 
Half a biscuit 
Goldfish 
A peach yogurt 
THAT IS IT. He just squished his dinner. I served him chicken, cucumber, tomato, potato wedges, and pita chips. He wouldn’t eat it. He screamed for Oreos.

Answer

I’d try putting a chart next to his dish with visuals of what he’s eaten and have him check off or put a sticker on the chart when he’s eaten something

Answer

Maybe try incentives. As a teacher I see many ADHD kids do well with this. Especially young kids. Use a plate or dry erase board and divide it into slices like a pizza or sections. Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner. If he eats then he gets a sticker or check mark. So many check marks= reward. Make a reward chest from the dollar store so it’s cheap and daily rewards or maybe a reward by the weekend. Constantly bring his attention to it while he eats to bring his attention back and have it posted where he easily sees it while he eats. 
Also. Try to cut out as many distractions. Close blinds. Put dogs in another room just while he eats. Etc. Make it consistent too. Snacks and meals sitting in the same place so he knows when he sits in that chair he eats. If you are super consistent it will help it become constant for him.

Answer

Gamification works for a lot of adhd kiddos. Try getting a minute sand timer and telling him to see if he can eat x number of bites before the sand runs out. Or maybe have some sort of coloring sheet/chart that he can fill out a little piece of after each bite or after a certain amount of time spent eating. Or maybe tallying how many bites it takes to finish each portion of the meal? 
Taking away MOST of the distractions is a good strategy, but having some little element there for him to fidget with or fixate upon will help prevent him from getting too restless

Answer

Have you tried adding anything to the shakes to make it more tasty? Like blending it with a banana or some berries to make a smoothie/‘milkshake’?
I would also try talking to his doctor again as maybe a referral to a feeding specialist might be more appropriate.

Answer

Make sure the distractions aren’t there. Close the bedroom door. Close the blinds. Nothing you can do about brother. Just feed them together. Eliminate all of the distractions you can. You could try letting him stand at the table to eat instead of sitting.

How to help child with ADHD eat?

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