tea times

Hello Ladies,

I know i have not posted on here for a while now, but i have a major concern over Emily, every tea time is a battle, lunch is not as bed and i normally win, but it so sodding frustrating!

Emily has decided that she does not want to eat much at all and only opens her mouth a tiny bit, and then a few mouthfuls later, she opens her mouth, takes the food in then slowly spits it back out, (watching me the entire time) now i tell her 'no' in a firm voice and explain why she should not do this ( i know she is only 17 months but she understands so much) So today i cooked steak pie, green beans and potatoes (she loves veg and meat) and she took 2 mouthfuls and didn't want anymore. She spat every mouthful out and just plain refused others.

How do i stop this battle of wills between me and her and get her back to eating like she used to? Her tea time is at 6pm and then she has a bedtime routine which normally works, except tonight when she screamed herself sick in protest to going to bed!

Hope you can help, i feel myself very close to losing my temper with her and i dont want to do that.

Many thanks for reading

Karen&naughty emily (17 and a half months) and marshmallow (15weeks and 5days)

Hi Ladies,

Thanks for the replies, i let emmy feed herself most of the time except when its really messy food, then i feed her. i dont hurry her along, i let her go at her own pace, its just so frustrating at time

Tc Karen and emmy and 15w+6d marshmallow

The best thing i ever did........

......... with cadene was to just put her in her highchair on a mess mat with her food and leave her to it.....! we sit down to dinner together and if she drops stuff on her mat i put it back once and if she does it again i leave it.... she eats with her hands even rice etc but she does have a spoon to hold too... it's so much less stressfull and now she really enjoys her food... i made myself stick to it for a week and she ate more than ever before lol.... cadene has dinner at 5/5.30pm so it'd done out of he way before bedtime routine starts... hope things get better hun xx danica and cadene xx

What about

giving her the spoon and leaving her to it. Just accept that a mess will be created and clean up later. This should stop you getting stressed about the spitting out and opening mouth a tiny bit.

Charlie was doing this at a younger age cos I was hurrying him along to eat on his own as I had Francis to see to (I didn't consciously do that to him but looking back, that's how it seems).
When Charlie was Emilys age Francis was 6 months and weaning so I would be feeding him and verbally encouraging Charlie. I'm glad now that it turned out that way as it made me realise that they're able to feed themselves soonder than we would think.

I reckon you should try that. She will be hungry therefore she will eat but somehow she's turned it into a game. Let her get on with it and you do whatever, clean up or have your own dinner and just 'assist'

Jen x

Hey,

Can't really help as i have a little terror at tea time too! Scarlett really only eats sparrow size portions, unless its chocolate and she will eat hippo size portions!! Do you let Emily feed herself, i have had to let Scarlett feed herself from day 1 really as she used to create such a fuss!

They do say that kids will take what they want and eat when hungry so i wouldn't worry too much, easier said than done!!

Take care

Donna, Scarlett 17 months and 29 week boy bump.
xxxxx