1 yo OBSESSED with food! Major tantrums! Help!

[CheeseCat85]

Hi, just wondering if anyone has had a similar thing around this age, and if so what you did!
DS has just turned 1 and has always been a good eater since we started weaning him at 6 months. He eats pretty much whatever we give him and isn't fussy at all. He eats fingers foods, aswell as off the spoon.
But recently, he has gotten very very strange about food in general! He's a demon! Once he's in his highchair and he knows that food is coming he screams to high heaven- it really is ridiculously loud and high pitched, and often there's also full on tears- it sounds like he's really hurt himself. Soon as I sit down with his food and he begins to eat he's fine. In a happy mood, laughing, clapping hands etc. But if I get up mid way through feeding him (thus taking his food with me, or leaving it there) the tantrum starts again. And then the same again once it's finished. Sometimes the tantrums can go on for 10 mins plus- tears, red face, absolutely FUMING that his food has all gone. If you try to distract him with a toy etc he throws it immediately in temper.
He also does the exact same when I, or DP (or anyone else tbf) is eating around him. He stands there begging like a dog, puppy dog eyes and all. And as soon as you don't give him any it all starts. I know I shouldn't give in to him and give him food when he's behaving like this but sometimes I do for a bit of peace! I obviously don't mind sharing my food with him (sometimes!) but I don't want to do it because he's demanding it.
I know he's obviously too young for any sort of reasoning, so proper discipline wouldn't work. But any tips? And does anyone else's 1 year old have tantrums already like this? I feel like the terrible twos have come a year early and very suddenly!
When he's not kicking off, he's a very happy, chatty, affectionate clever little boy.

[buckyou]

Are you sure he's getting enough to eat? What happens if you just give him as much as he wants?

I would ditch the spoon feeding now and just give him plenty of healthy food to feed himself.

[NoArmaniNoPunani]

How much does he eat? I'm quite astonished at the amount of food DS can pack away at 14months.

[MrsGotobed]

Could he be having a growth spurt? Is he very active in general?

I remember a phase of finding DS in the kitchen with his hands in a box of Cheerios shovelling them into his face as ast as he could. He would crawl into the kitchen, open the cupboard, get the box out and start eating them in the seconds my back was turned.

[MrsGotobed]

as fast as he could

[Whoami24601]

Oh I have this too! DS 21 mo is a greedy little bugger- you can't even open a cupboard in the kitchen without him coming in and demanding food. I don't really know what to do, but sometimes I give him some, and sometimes I don't. Recently he seems less inclined to properly lose it with me if I don't share, so maybe it's a phase they grow out of?

[KatyN]

My 13 month old is very similar. I can not eat around her at all. Drinking near her is touch and go whether she'll want it.
Meal times she isn't so bad because she eats a lot and we feed her until she is finished. Just incase you wanted a measure, she'll eat two weetabix for breakfast, a biscuit or satsuma mid morning. Half a tin of beans and toast for lunch and then maybe a side plate of food for tea. She is on the 25% for weight too. She just eats a lot.
If meals are late she properly cries, like the sky is falling in. She has just started signing food (putting her hand to her mouth). Normally I'm not a massive fan of the baby sign but it means she can say when she's hungry (which is a lot of the time).
K

[CheeseCat85]

An example of meals/milk for the day is a 6oz bottle of whole milk at 7am (or whatever time he wakes) a medium sized bowl of porridge/piece of toast at half 9ish. A piece of fruit/some rice cakes etc at half 11, a medium size bowl of a pasta dish (or something similar) at half 1, another snack of fruit/cheese/ham at half 3, 1/4 chicken breast, green beans and seeet potatoe at 5ish followed by fromage frais. And then 6oz of whole before bed at 7. I've always been a little confused on what the portion sizes should be at this age? But his weight has always been 'perfect' for his centile so I've never worried too much, but am now thinking maybe I should try upping them slightly. If he does have a slightly larger portion than usual, he doesn't tend to kick off quite as bad. Although he's still liable to scream at me for not sharing mine, even if he's only just finished his!

Also, i do try to give him food he can help himself too, but if we're having spag Bol etc (something he can't pick up with his hands) I need to spoon feed it to him as he flat out refuses to even attempt to feed himself (throws the spoon immediately when I pass it to him in temper- how dare I attempt to mess around with his meal time routine! ). I plan on cutting out his bottles at some point soon too and trying his milk in his soppy cup instead, but just don't feel he's quite there yet.

[CheeseCat85]

*sweet potato

[CheeseCat85]

Also, he's not quite walking yet but is very active. Lots of cruising, very fast crawling wherever he can't get to, pulling himself to standing on absolutely everything/everyone etc. Barely stays still unless he's very tired basically

[CheeseCat85]

*can get to. Having a nightmare with autocorrect!

[Bringmewineandcake]

I would try to give breakfast earlier as that seems the biggest gap between meals. I'd also try bigger portions to try and get the number of meal times down as currently he seems to eat every 2 hours from breakfast till bedtime.

[Naughty1205]

My ds is 1 and quite similar, a great feeder, 3 meals and 2 snacks similar to your baby, eg. He gets half a weetabix and half fruit pot/banana for breakfast, rice cake/toast/fruit for snacks, rice pudding or fromage frais after his dinner and tea, and water as a drink he is still on formula as turns one in a few days and is having 3x 7oz a day. He wants whatever he sees me eating/drinking, think it might be a development stage also. I'd up the portions by a few spoons and maybe add a rice pudding (ambrosia do nice mini pots) but I think his meals sound great. Perhaps you could even add in another snack? I think 3 meals and 3 snacks is recommended at this age?

[andpeggy29]

This is basically my husband lol! !

[Aquamarine1029]

I think this is just a phase. Don't let your baby start controlling the situation. They are getting more than enough to eat.

[anklebitersmum]

Are you eating with your son or after him? If you eat with him, with him up to the table (in the highchair) too he'll probably feed himself far more than he is right now and that will solve the screaming when you remove his dinner to be fair I'd probably scream too if you bugged out with my food halfway through my eating it and the demanding your food when he's just eaten.

All toddlers want what Mummy's eating, just use it to your advantage when it comes to vegetables and healthy stuff.

[isthistoonosy]

Mine both ate like crazy at that age it calmed down by around 18months.
I remember nursery calling to say dc was ill as they only ate one bowl of porridge instead of the normal three bowls.
And the time he ate seven hotdog suasages with dinner.
We never restricted food at meals and they are healthy weights.

[GoosevonMoose]

I never limited access to healthy food like veg etc. If DC ate the whole meal I always kept offering more veg until they signalled they were done. If it's all healthy they really do self limit.

[coolaschmoola]

Am I the only one who thinks walking away with his food halfway through is a bit mean? You know why you're doing it - but he doesn't! He's hungry and all he knows is you've just removed his dinner. Of COURSE he's going to get upset.

FWIW I think he sounds hungry. Children self regulate. As long as you are giving healthy food let him eat. Make sure he's getting enough protein and ditch the rice cakes because they are pointless in terms of hunger and nutrition.

[coolaschmoola]

Looking back it appears that he doesn't get any protein, bar the small amount in milk, before lunch. That will make him hungry. Omelette for breakfast? Scrambled egg? Beans on toast?

[Iwasjustabouttosaythat]

Sorry but this sounds adorable and hilarious!

Just let him gorge on finger food. If he's as active as you say then he must be really hungry. Lots of people would be so happy to have a kid who happily eats anything. Stuff him with veggies while you still can. The trademark toddler fussiness may be on its way so relax and enjoy this while it lasts. What does it hurt if he spends an hour eating carrots and celery? Just wait him out.

[Ponderingprivately]

DS 19 months is like this. He is always hungry and packs away a lot of food - he is tall and energetic. I would up his portion sizes a bit, if he is crying then he is probably still hungry. I give DS a bit more than the recommended amount, if I gave him a portion the size of his fist I'd be listening to all day grizzling. He will stop eating and pass his plate or bowl over when he is (eventually) full.
At typical day would be:
B: small bowl of cereal, 1 small slice of toast
Snack: mini weetabix or a small banana or a small apple
lunch: ikea plate with 1 piece toast, 1 scrambled egg, bit of ham 4 cherry tomatoes. Watermelon.
snack: maybe some cheese cubes and a rice cracker
dinner: toddler bowl with spag bol, fish and rice, tuna pasta etc. etc.
He doesn't drink milk .

DD was actually the same as a toddler, and I used to worry but she is 4 now and doesn't eat any more than she did at 18 months, she is just tall and slim. She obviously needed the food at that age, growing more physically and mentally.

[CheeseCat85]

Thanks for all your responses! I'm going to try upping his portions and noted about the protein. He does have chicken and fish so does get it but maybe not enough.
Just to clarify, I NEVER take his food away from him before he's finished, that's not what I meant. I meant if I put it down to just nip to the kitchen to get a cloth/get his water cup from the side etc, or perhaps keep it in my hand whilst I go so the cat doesn't eat it (I'm literally no more than 3 seconds and I'm back sat infront of him). I'm not doing anything mean by doing that.
I do feel lucky that he'll eat anything tbf. And I would expect a bit of grizzling if he doesn't get his own way with re to eating mine- but recently it's a full on meltdown!

[BendydickCuminsnatch]

Sounds the extreme end of normal to me! I wouldn't worry. DS does the begging too, and is a bottomless pit. Just stand firm and don't give in to the begging! Easier said than done.

And apparently the terrible twos start in the second year, not when they turn two, so... welcome!

[bluebell34567]

I wish mine were like that :)

[SnowWhite33]

He is just greedy, it will pass or at least become less intense as he grows
Mine was exactly the same, would eat absolutely everything as fast as he could as if we were going to take it Away. At playdates it was getting embarassing as he would hoover around any mum friend who had any snacks for their kids and beg.
And his first word was "more" , only then came " mama"
Now at almost 2 he is more relaxed and, even though still a very good eater compared to many of his friends, he is definately more picky and not so obsessive. And play has become much more interesting than snacks