Anyone else's 16/17ish month old suddenly become fussy with food?

[Summerdays2014]

Hi everyone,

So... I was very smug during the warning process that my son would eat anything, and lots of it. However, over the last few months it's becoming obvious that he is starting to become fussy-refusing green veg at first, then meat and now foods that he previously loved -scrambled egg, tuna etc.

Is this a normal stage? Not sure how to handle this really. Offer an alternative? Gove him what he wants? This would mean he would survive on toast, fruit, youghurt, cheese and hummus!

Thanks

[Dottydoodoo]

I'm sorry I have no advice, but came to sympathise because my DS is exactly the same at the moment 😳. He is 14 months old and was a star when he started weaning.

My DS also seems to have an issue with being spoon fed at the moment. He will push the spoon away without even trying, even if it is something he loves. If I can get any into his mouth for him to taste he then realises he does like it, tells us mmmmmmm, and will demolish the whole lot but it's such a battle all the time and I don't think it should be. I've tried to let him do the spoon himself but it just ends up across the room.

I tend to give what he wants/will eat/alternative because I feel like he is too little to go without, but like you I don't actually know how to handle this stage. Health visitor said its just typical toddler behaviour but had no actual advice 😬!

[Summerdays2014]

Thanks dotty, sorry you're going through it as well. Breakfast (always ok) and lunch were ok today apart from him not eating his peas (which I expected)
Dinner however was a disaster. I knew he was hungry as he went to his high chair, but he point blank refused to even try his vegetable bake which he's had loads of times. He then spat out the side of potatoes thar he did eventually try. who doesn't like potatoes?!? I just don't know whether to offer alternatives (which I did tonight-two different things) or not. As you say dotty he seems too young to not have anything. It's tough isn't it? We're teething at the moment and sleep is bad. He also seems to be very clingy so maybe this is all related? Who knows!

[HandbagFan]

DS is 15m and this started for us a couple of weeks ago. He goes rigid in his chair screaming, even when its food he loves.

I've stopped giving him food I would normally spoon feed so he can feed himself everything, and I offer 3/4 things per meal in small portions in the hope he eats some.

I'm sure they'll all be fine. But it's a shock to the system after they've been so good for so long!

[InDubiousBattle]

Is anyone else's toddler fussy? Op, everyone else's toddler is fussy! Or at least pretty much every toddler I know is. You start weaning and they will eat anything. They lure you into a false sense of security and no small amount of smugness at your baby nicely eating their vegetables. Then they turn 13-15 months ish and nothing new will pass their lips!

My 3.5 year old is getting much better. My almost 2 year old isn't.

I just make normal food, Shepherds pie, fish pie, spaghetti bolognaise etc and if they eat it they do, if they don't they don't. If there's something planned for tea that I doubt they'll eat I give them something for lunch that I know they will. I never offer alternatives. I'm not a short order cook! If they really don't eat anything for tea they can have a slice of bread before bed.

[Bubbinsmakesthree]

Yup, everything Indubious said (and I follow the same tactics). God I was smug about my broccoli munching baby. Now the closest my nearly 3yo will get to a vegetable is the tomato sauce around a baked bean. Drives me absolutely bonkers. It's been getting steadily worse since he was one-and-a-bit.

[InDubiousBattle]

Weird how they all love baked beans!
In the last week or two my dd has had a go at eating:
-chalk
-Compost
-A dead bumble bee
-Paint and glitter (that was this morning- very much looking forward to that nappy!)
-her own bogies
Yet she wouldn't touch a tuna wrap (presumably because it wasn't a tuna sandwich). Because that would be disgusting!

[Bubbinsmakesthree]

Oh yeah any food scraps found on the floor are fair game apparently. I'd be better off breaking his dinner into small pieces, throwing it on the floor and leaving them for a few days to get dry shrivelled and dusty. He'd probably yum it up then.

[Summerdays2014]

That made me laugh indubious. My son is probably so full of sand he can't fit in proper food!

He always seems to be hungry, constantly going to the high chair and pointing to the pantry, but won't eat unless it's something he wants. Bread or oat cakes usually...

I spoke to nursery today and they said they were shocked as he eats everything there. They kept a close eye on him today during meal times and said there was no complaining or fussiness at all.

[Bubbinsmakesthree]

Oh yeah that's normal as well, eating all the vegetables under the sun in their childcare setting whilst you feel like a complete failure as a parent because you can't get them to eat anything except weetabix and cheese on toast.

[Onetedisbackinbed]

I was once told this is a protective mechanism. Apparently it's inbuilt for us to become suspicious of foods around the time we start walking to protect us from eating toxic substances. Don't know if it's true but it made me feel better and also gave me hope it would pass