10mth old baby - wont be fed

[AxelF]

I was so pleased when my dd started feeding herself. However she now won't let me feed her at all. This is proving quite difficult because she hasn't mastered the art herself. So we go to the effort of cooking a nice healthy dinner and then watch as she squelches most of it in her fingers, sticks some of it to her face, manages to eat very little and eventually ends up having a major tantrum in her chair. We do pass her spoons of food and she will manage a few of these, then she gets annoyed starts dropping things on the floor and the tantrums are back. I really dont know where we are going wrong. Any ideas greatly appreciated.

[Mumpbump]

Make her finger food instead. Much easier. There is a book called something like Fingerfood for Babies and Toddlers, but to be honest, you can do anything and just chop it up into manageable bits. And accept that it is going to be very messy until she gets better with the spoon!!

[madmarchhare]

she has a spoon, you have a spoon.

When it starts going all over then the floor(on purpose), mealtime is over.

She will eat if hungry.

[mrsjohnsim]

put stuff on toast!
and have a look at aitch's baby lead weanng blog- will try to find a link, will have lots of help on which foods she can eat easily,
i never spoon fed ds2 who is now 19months and he eats really well, now he has mastered a spoon.
it was a mess before that, bt if they feed themselves then you just have to give them the best food and then sit back and eat your own.
it is much easier

[kels666]

I have the same problem with my 8 mths old. Have started putting his mashed food into a pitta bread for him to pick up

[mrsjohnsim]

thyere is no need to mash food at this age, but lol at the pittabread

[AxelF]

Tonight we are going to have penne pasta with some chucky veg and tomato sauce and garlic bread. Am also getting melon which dd loves in case all fails. The part I REALLY hate though is that for some reason every meal time seems to end in a tantrum with dd screaming and holding her hands out to me. I try to carry on with dinner and conversation but eventually put her down where she screams and then possibly crawls over which makes me feel terrible. Should I just let her sit in my lap to eat?

[AxelF]

I feel we had a slight success last night, we ate in the kitchen so no fear of mess and just let dd get stuck in. i did manage to get a few spoonfulls in but its better then nothing. more than that dd managed to stay seated at the table through out the meal with no tears - hooray!! Only thing is dd's nursery said they feed her lunch no problems- very annoying but I will just put it doen to time of day and move on.

[mrsjohnsim]

i often end up with ds2 on my lap at mealtimes. he is now 19months but i think it has been going on for a while.
I can't remembeer if you said how old your dd is...
just go with the flow for now...don't get stressed about meals, really, life is too short.
Just offer food and let her eat what she wants/needs and then when she wants to get out of the chair then let her sit with you for a bit and pull her plate round to you, if she has one.
Ds2 didn't get a plate fro a long time- used to just tip it all ovber his shoulder
wenaing babies is a mess, but it will get better
honest..

[mrsjohnsim]

oh is see, 10months- my advice is pretty much the same then...

[BizzyDint]

have you tried just leaving her to it? i mean not trying to get a few spoon fulls in at all. also, i don't know if you've already tried this, but fusilli (twists) is usually easier than penne for a baby to pick up. and if you try to give dd more of the chunky veg and less of the sauce it will be less messy, and just give her a small amount at a time. hth.

[AxelF]

Thats great advice thanks. We had another 'pretty good' meal last night naughty I know but fish fingers chips and beans. She let me feed her that and helped herself with fingers. You are absoutely right though about being relaxed it does seem to help. DD does have a plate but I want one that sticks to the table as I have to keep whipping itoff her. v funny re throwing on his shoulders. I actually saw some cutlery in mothercare catalogue that attaches to the table also with springs which looks v cool aswell. will try those.

[deaconblue]

DS gave up being fed at 10 months too. I just put things on his tray and let him get onwith it now. It's weird coz he used to gag on lumps in the food I fed him but now eats pieces of chicken, roasted veg, ham, toast most things without any trouble. He will let me feed him yoghurt though so am using that to try to teach him to use a spoon himself.

[mrsjohnsim]

i had a trip tap for ds2 and he used to be pushed up to the table and be part of the family,--
didn't work in nay way at all.
instead i bought a plastic highchair for "20 form mother care. the best thing about it is the deep tray, the sides are so high he never managed to push stuff over.. i used to plate all the meals very nicely and bring them ppver to table. DH, DS1 and I all sat with nice plated of food, and then i just tipped put ds2's bowl opnot the tray and he sifted his way through it all.
He is now using the trip trap,and plastes, but for quite a while it was just feral really
glad things are easing up for you- life is too short to be stressed