2 1/2 yr old won’t self feed at home!

[Emierose]

I’m a nanny on the weekends for a 2 year old and 5 months (29 month old) he goes to a brill nursery full time, he feeds himself there but not at meal times with cutlery at home! I think the main issue is the parents and family letting him watch Tele while eating which is distracting, he will completely not eat (maybe one or two spoonfuls at most by himself)! I find that he will also refuses to eat and is fussy at home and will push me away or move his head when trying to feed him! He is improving on this! I really need some great advice on what to do about this! I’ve tried everything! Thank you also he is struggling in language (speech) and emotional development so this also impacts a bit!

[nannynick]

Feeds himself at nursery so you know he physically is able to do it.

Remove all distractions at meal times. Consider tiredness, changing time of meals a little may help.

Use small portions, can always have seconds! Could start very small portions and build up over a period of time. Have some elements of the meal that can be eaten with fingers such as toast soldiers, cucumber sticks, pieces of cheese.

At nursery he may have peer pressure, other children eat with a spoon so he does too. So have some of the same food yourself so he can copy you.

[AllFourOfThem]

If he goes to nursery full time during the week then consider the fact that since he is only two, he might well be really shattered at the weekends. I don’t really see when his parents and the tv will have much opportunity to badly influence him since full time at nursery presumably means all three meals and snacks there so straight to bed during the week when he is home and with you at the weekends.

[insancerre]

Just stop feeding him
I work in a nursery and there is no way I would be feeding a two year old
They either do it themselves or go hungry
We don’t even feed the older babies, they soon learn that they have to do it themselves