Feeling defeated

Sounds like teething to me! Just keep offering and give things to help sooth his gums. Try smoothies and homemade popsicles

@Melanie thank you. It’s so hard for me to tell when he’s teething cause he won’t let me get close enough to even look in his mouth

Probably teething tbh check his mouth! Are his gums bumpy? Can you feel why starting to poke through

Looks like he's drooling and it could be teething related. This is also a completely normal developmental stage though. Young babies don't really have food "preferences," but as they get older, they figure out what they like and a part of that is food throwing and rejection. The important thing is to just keep offering a variety of healthy choices and let them decide what they want to eat. Eventually, they will. Don't worry about him going hungry - he won't as long as he's being offered food. I would scrap the toddler milk - they are full of sugar and have little to no nutritional value. Kids at that age should primarily be eating whole foods. Getting rid of it may even solve the problem as it is probably replacing what he should be getting from whole foods. If he refuses food, fine, end the meal and try again later. Same thing when he starts throwing. Don't engage, don't bargain, don't become a short order cook. Just calmly end the meal and say "all done."

@Melissa thank you. It’s so hard seeing him upset

@Yelena does he often get upset during mealtimes? If he's getting extra fussy that does lend to the possibility of teething.

@Melissa no he normally doesn’t. It’s just been the past week or so he’s been refusing solid food.

@Melissa I’m just so scared of him losing to much weight or him getting sick cause he is refusing food

@Melissa hey what do you recommend to give in place of formula when they cry for milk ?

@Zo you can give whole milk or alternatives, like oat milk or dairy-free. If they need time to transition you can mix it and then slowly phase out the formula.

@Yelena has the doctor been concerned about his weight loss? Refusing food is pretty normal for toddlers. They manage. Honestly they will love on goldfish crackers if you let them.

@Melissa he loves his whole milk but lately he doesn’t even want that

My son pulls on his ears when his teeth are bothering him, I blend up items and freeze into popsicles for when they are really bothering him

@Melissa he drinks normal milk and formula fine but relies on it more than food!! having same issue as the person who posted

@Melissa he definitely loves goldfish

@Zo sometimes the issue is simply that the formula is replacing their hunger for food. Toddlers don't grow exponentially like babies, they don't need the structural and physical nutrition that a growing baby does. They tend to eat a lot less in general and it's not a 1:1 ratio from milk to food. What they do need are good, healthy fats for their developing brains, and nutritionally dense foods, but you have to let them decide whether to eat what you give them, otherwise you just reinforce a negative relationship with food. They are asserting their independence and food intake is pretty much the only thing they have control over.

@Yelena I mean yeah then it does sound like a teething issue. Those resolve on their own, in the meantime just keep offering milk / food and it should resolve itself. smoothies always work for my toddler, I make them at home, or you can try making your own Popsicles as was suggested above. Teething doesn't last forever and neither does the food-throwing stage.

@Melissa thank you so much. I really appreciate it

If it is teething or even a sensory stage he is going through just make the solid food into something he can drink. If he like smoothies keep up that and add in milshakes/smoothies with veg etc in/blended up normal meals and have savoury foods like bread and butter or crackers easily available. Don't make it a big deal, or a fight.