Anyone else with a 2 year old too lazy to feed themselves?

[Katie1980]

I'm just wondering if I'm the only one still out there feeding their 2 year old? He can feed himself well with a spoon, forks are a bit more difficult but he does get there but he gets easily bored and fed up and then its 'mummy turn' .

I will say any finger foods he's great with and he has fantastic fine motor skills so it's not a developmental 'problem' that I'm worried about.

Tbh it doesn't really bother me that much to help him but I'm starting to feel like I'm wrong and shouldn't be doing it. I have tried loads of encouragement, not doing it for him, probably every trick in the book but he just doesn't seem that interested. I keep hearing about all these babies and toddlers that refuse to be helped with food and I seem to have the complete opposite!

He has a fantastic appetite and eats really well he just can't be bothered to do it himself. I know that everyone's probably going to say just stop doing it for him and he'll do it himself but I worry about him not eating, he's a very tall kid and spends all day everyday running around, I've always tried hard to make sure he eats well I just don't want to see this turning into a battle of wills.... Probably because he'd win!

 

[Aliop]

My little boy is 18 months and still gets (basically spoon fed) three times a day! He eats finger food no worries at all and can feed himself well but just doesn't seem to want to I don't really mind as my first stopped letting us help him feed at 2ish and has never eaten anything 'mushy' since (casserole, risotto, mashed veg) so I'm quite ok to keep feeding him these type of dishes as quite honestly it's just easier!

 

[steph.]

I still spoon feed my 2.5 year old at dinner. She's usually so tired by then that she can't be bothered. She has lunch 3x week at nursery and eats by herself then, when she's at home I'll help her along but she does most of it. Until her little sister was born and I had more time I spoon fed her for almost every meal.

 

[jd83]

My older son went through a phase around age 2, when his brother was born, of wanting me to feed him. He would do a few bites on his own, then want me to do it. For him, I think it was a regression to want babied since there was a new baby at home. I just fed him, as I wanted to make sure he ate. It was just a phase with him, and a few months later, he went back to doing it himself.

 

[Loui1001]

Sounds like my DS, he will happily eat his breakfast and lunch himself but dinner time is a different matter. If left to his own devices he would push the food around with his fork, complain that he's tired, not hungry and would be happy to not try a bite, I still feed him a little to get him going and make myself feel happier that he's ate something! I'm sure it'll pass so I really wouldn't worry about it x

 

[RaspberryK]

Honestly I would just not do it, children will not (extremely rarely) let themselves starve.
Xx

 

[veganmama]

i spoon feed my 2 year old 3 times a day. he can eat with a spoon and fork by himself but it takes ages for him to eat everything, and he also gets bored so wants to finish early when he does it himself so eats less.

i feel bad i feel like i should let him do it himself but i just cant fathom the thought of him not eating the same amount (he has a history of poor eating in the past)

 

[Yikesy]

Yeah I have the same problem! Mummy's turn now etc etc!! I know she has the ability so I encourage a few times and then help her out if she's insistent. It helps if I'm doing something in the kitchen (the adjoining room to where she eats) as she doesn't have an option but to do it herself, but obviously I need to be supervising to a certain extent...! I think it's just a phase hopefully!

 

[sherylb]

Our DD went through that phase. She had been feeding herself perfectly and then started to act helpless and I had to put the food on her spoon/fork for every bite. She's outgrown it thankfully but it lasted several months.

 

[FAB mama]

I have one of the kids that refuses to be fed. Hardly accepted one single bite in his entire life. Trust me, it's extremely frustrating and he's low on the weight chart and I can't do anything about it except offer food. I'm sure your LO would eat if you leave him to it.

 

[jd83]

I have one of the kids that refuses to be fed. Hardly accepted one single bite in his entire life. Trust me, it's extremely frustrating and he's low on the weight chart and I can't do anything about it except offer food. I'm sure your LO would eat if you leave him to it.

Not my son. He has always been super picky, never ate much even if I was feeding him. If I didn't feed him when he went through that phase, then he flat out refused to eat, and would just drink milk. I tried leaving him to it for a few days, it was a total failure. Honestly, I don't know how long he would have held out, but he's very stubborn with eating, so probably a while as long as he had milk. He was also very low on the weight chart, so I wasn't comfortable continuing that. Luckily, it was just a phase and he did go back to feeding himself a few months later.

 

[OmarsMum]

I still spoon feed my 4.5 yrs his main meal, he is so picky with food, he won't touch his plate unless he is distracted, he hates to sit with family for meals as seeing others eating overwhelms him. If I leave it for him he will eat the rice & leave all veggies, I know how to load his spoon right to get him to eat the veggies & meal mixed with his rice. His diet was limited to 5 types of food when he was 2. It didn't get better until he was over 3. & he will starve himself. I tried to send him To school without breakfast to encourage him to eat on his own there, he went without food for 7 hrs & he wasn't bothered. When I went to the hospital 2 months back & stayed overnight he didn't eat anything other than a croissant & yoghurt. He is very selective with food he will eat on his own. He looks at his plate & picks tiny stuff like finely chopped onions, herbs & so on. When I feed him he doesn't look into those or try to take them out. I don't even show him what he's eating. I know he likes it as he always ask for second serving, but before he tries it or tastes what's on his plate he will gag & refuse to eat it.

I'm glad he started to eat a good variety, I don't really mind feeding him as long as I know he is getting a variety.

My cousin is almost 8, he feeds himself but he is not into food & he is so picky, his mum left it to him, his diet went down the hill, he was living on cereals, milk & junk. Now she's back to distracting him to & spoon feeding him to get some veggies & protein into his body. He sees a nutritionist & she advised her to distract & feed as long as he's getting a good diet. He goes to school for 9 hrs & he doesn't touch food there.

 

[sparkle_1979]

I have a nearly three yr old and if she's struggling she will stop and refuse unless I feed her

 

[Button#]

Yes, my LO is going through a funny phase where he wants us to hand him food. He's teething and is going through a separation anxiety phase and I think it's linked. I find he wants us to be involved in everything he's doing at the moment and I suppose this is his way of being close to us at mealtimes.

 

[caz_hills]

I struggle with my son who is nearly three. He will eat well if there are lots of people eating - kids at nursery or when we have a big meal at home. But he would rather I fed him and sometimes gets bored and gives up. I now don't feed him album try and have to encourage him still x

 

[alaskagrown]

If you have a child who is over 18 months and believe that not spoon feeding them would result in adverse health effects, I strongly encourage you to contact your local early intervention program or occupational therapist as this is atypical behavior.

I think people often forget what a typical portion size is for a toddler and overestimate how much food and calories they really need. Spoon feeding from an adult can result in a loss of intuitive hunger and fullness which can lead to problems later in life such as becoming overweight. It is very normal for a toddler to not eat breakfast or dinner - a more appropriate expectation would be six small meals per day versus three square meals/three snacks and three large meals.

If you have already spoken to your doctor about this, great! If not, please consider mentioning this at your next well child check up.

 

[RaspberryK]

If you have a child who is over 18 months and believe that not spoon feeding them would result in adverse health effects, I strongly encourage you to contact your local early intervention program or occupational therapist as this is atypical behavior.

I think people often forget what a typical portion size is for a toddler and overestimate how much food and calories they really need. Spoon feeding from an adult can result in a loss of intuitive hunger and fullness which can lead to problems later in life such as becoming overweight. It is very normal for a toddler to not eat breakfast or dinner - a more appropriate expectation would be six small meals per day versus three square meals/three snacks and three large meals.

If you have already spoken to your doctor about this, great! If not, please consider mentioning this at your next well child check up.

Well written, this is why we blw from the start and I never spoon feed.
Xx

 

[Button#]

Completely agree about overestimating portion sizes. I did a free healthy eating for children course and me and the other mums were suprised at the portion sizes for toddlers.

I do make sure that he asks for the food before we hand it to him to make sure he is in control of his eating. He sits there saying daddy pick up cheese please!

 

[steph.]

I don't force my child to eat. When she says enough I take the plate away. I don't see how that will make her fat.

 

[jd83]

If you have a child who is over 18 months and believe that not spoon feeding them would result in adverse health effects, I strongly encourage you to contact your local early intervention program or occupational therapist as this is atypical behavior.

I think people often forget what a typical portion size is for a toddler and overestimate how much food and calories they really need. Spoon feeding from an adult can result in a loss of intuitive hunger and fullness which can lead to problems later in life such as becoming overweight. It is very normal for a toddler to not eat breakfast or dinner - a more appropriate expectation would be six small meals per day versus three square meals/three snacks and three large meals.

If you have already spoken to your doctor about this, great! If not, please consider mentioning this at your next well child check up.

I would agree to speak to a doctor about it. They have lots of tips of things to try to get them eating. I spoke to my pediatrician numerous times about our problems, and unfortunately, spoon feeding him for the time being actually WAS their suggestion, as they said it was likely a phase. Which it was. My son was underweight though, which may have contributed to that opinion. A normal weight child they may have suggested leaving him to it, and he'd eat what he needed on his own.