16 month old hardly eating finger foods - just smooth batch cooked food

[SleepFreeZone]

He used to be excellent and would eat lots of different cut up fruit and veg as well as spaghetti and lumpy food happily. I wasn't really doing BLW but I was making sure he had smooth batch cooked food alongside toast etc.

Now he hardly does anything with his finger food bar chick it away or clamp his mouth shut when I encourage him. He will still eat smooth food and yogurt etc. He does eat porridge with mashed up fruit but doesn't want to know cut up fruit at all now.

Is it a phase do you think? He is small for his age, 25th centile on his last check so I don't want to just let him hurl his food away so I'm just blitzing stuff for him. Im worried this is wrong and I'm not sure the best way to progress 👎

[NuffSaidSam]

I'd be giving lumpy food at this point. So, still served on a spoon, not finger food, but he's a bit old for it to be completely smooth! Just normal food, chopped up small.

The most important thing is to not make an issue of it. Keep offering the finger food. Try him with 'lumpy' food. If he absolutely won't eat it, carry on with smooth food. Try again in a few days. Repeat. Don't try and force the issue though.

[SleepFreeZone]

Thanks nuffsaid

He did a bit better this morning and had some cheese and some bread and some porridge and a yogurt! Small amount of each obviously but seemed more hungry. He has had s really snotty nose the last week and seems to be cutting some of his back teeth so it might all be linked.

[EveryoneTalkAboutPopMusic]

How long has he been like this for? If you think teeth are playing a part, I'd try him with a teething gel, like Dentinox.

[thethoughtfox]

Just give him what you are having ( as long as it's not too salty or junk food). We did baby led weaning. It doesn't matter so much if they don't eat it. Remember that they can take lots times before they actually eat a new food. Mine would sometimes ignore it, next time smell it, next time wave it around or smear it or see what it does, maybe next time try it but maybe not.