1yr+ fussy eater/refusing to eat

[Tezzy]

Ffion is such a stroppy madam at dinner times, she now refuses to eat with her hands (BLW style) and wants to eat with a spoon/fork like Rhys does... i really really dont want to give her coutlery just yet because i dont want her to play with her food. If i try spoon feeding her she just screams and shakes her head.

within 5 minutes of us sitting down for dinner she has usually thrown everything on the floor and is screaming to get out of her highchair... she has even learnt how to stand up in it to try and escape

she also spits food out a lot and scrunches up her face like she doesnt enjoy the taste of things... ive tried everything and even things she used to eat fine she doesnt even try now

Rhys used to be a fussy eater and never ate much but he never tantrumed about eating, he never screamed or tried to get out of his chair.. so im completely lost on how to handle the situation.

any advice?

 

[mommyof3co]

I would really give her the cutlery...we started about that age with it too. But if she's interested in trying that's great, she'll get better at it sooner. It might encourage her to eat more as well. Hayden can be the same way some nights, no interest in trying anything, tries to throw it on the ground (though we are pretty much past that stage, thankfully) and he tries to get out as soon as he thinks he's finished. I've learned at his age there really is no reasoning, he just doesn't understand, so I'll try and encourage him to eat a few more bites or atleast sit there with us for a bit longer, usually he will do it and usually seeing us eat will encourage him to eat atleast a little more but some nights he juts won't have it so I clean him up and just let him down. He's weird about eating, he will usually pick one thing and eat that and nothing else, even if he likes the other stuff and has it alot. He spits stuff out that he "doesn't like" too it drives me nuts, haven't figured out how to stop that one lol. But it's like some nights he wants nothing, then like last night he ate 2 servings of his dinner...it really varies, I just try to go with him and avoid the fight, I figure he'll eat what he needs to..and he does

 

[Ratty]

I've done quite a lot of reading about 1 year olds and eating. There are a lot of references to kids dropping their appetite after they turn 1 as the major growth spurt comes to an end.

Could she just be wanting to eat less, or is she not eating anything?

I can't offer advice as I haven't got to this stage yet, my LO still wants to be spoon fed (lazy).

 

[Serene123]

Caitlyn is EXACTLY the same this past week!! It's driving me NUTS. But I just give in and let her eat it...

 

[Sammy181]

Katie has started spitting out food too or she'll chew something and then bring it out of her mouth to look at it and drop it on the floor!

 

[Freya]

I hear similar stories around this age (gulp, another 'stage' to look forward to then).

I guess I'm offering general advice, is Ffion allowed snacks in between her main meals? I can imaine as a mum it's tempting to allow her to snack because you may be worried about her not eating??? If you do, perhaps reduce the snacks? Or if you're not comfortable with that, reduce the snacks in the afternoon before your evening meal??

Her own cutlery will help!

I guess the old chesnut of 'over the top' praising of any good behavior you see at the table, Ffion, and especially Rhys. Maybe clear the floor of her food after, not during the meal? 'Trying' to ignore her verbal protests??? Can she have toys after her meal to play with at her high chair to hold her attention? Does she want to sit at the table like her brother? Could you try a harness thingy that fixes to a normal chair?

Random suggestions, hopefully this passes quickly for you xxx

 

[sam's mum]

Sam got really fussy with eating as well - not because of the food but because he wanted to feed himself, and using his hands wasn't good enough unless it was something I'd eat with my hands. He refused to be spoon fed too, so in the end I gave him a spoon and then while he tried to feed himself with it (or tipped it sideways so it went all down his front) I fed him with another spoon. It worked for about a month, and he got better at feeding himself with a spoon/fork - now he'll feed himself with it. I think they get to a stage where they see how other people eat and just want to try that as well.

Can you give her something cleanish with a little fork to start with? Like pasta with cheese that you can just stick on the end of the fork for her? x

 

[Tezzy]

thanks for everybodys advice!

it turns out that the nursery the kids go to have been giving ffion a spoon to eat with so no wonder she wants to eat with cutlery

we are comprimising at the moment, i let her hold a fork and i feed her with another one but i know eventually im just gonna have to let her feed herself.

*im typing whilst i watch colin pick up bits of lunch from the floor LOL*

 

[sam's mum]

You'll probably find the mess gets better quite quickly! Sam can now eat a fromage frais without getting too much in his hair/down his front/all over the high chair tray. At least you know why she was being so fussy, and I'm glad Colin knows what he should be doing x

 

[Tezzy]

LOL yes he knows his place!

 

[Loz75]

Emm is the same. I have 2 spoons at mealtimes and help Emm guide one spoon to her mouth, then put more food on the other spoon and she then picks that one up and i guide it to her mouth, it's the only way i can get it in lol! Emm is using her hands as well tho. I think sometimes they go through phases with it - a while back she went off picking stuff up herslef, now she does it again. x