To put my 16.5 month old without offering any more food?

[dottytablecloth]

Today he's had:
Porridge
Pancake
Banana
Yogurt x 2
Bottle of milk
Half a digestive

For dinner tonight I offered him chicken and pasta with tomato sauce- he howled when I tried to give it to him.

I then went and made beans and toast and he howled and refused this too.

Appreciate these aren't the most exciting foods but normally he likes them.

He's not normally fussy.

AIBU to not cook anything else for him- am pregnant and exhausted.

He'll get a bottle before bed.

What do you think? It doesn't seem like much to me

I mean, put him to bed without offering more food!

He's probably just not hungry then, yanbu it's what id do too

Sounds like he isn't hungry, what time is bed time?

Posted to soon, what time did he have bottle of milk on your list? He probably doesn't need a bottle of milk in the day time.

7 o'clock sometimes 7.30, am just a bit worried as he'll normally eat something!

Bottle in the morning

Bottle before bed

He'll be fine, if he seems hungry later just give him a toast finger or two, but otherwise just offer milk at bedtime.

I would say am bottle ok that won't affect his appetite. I wouldn't worry that's for sure if he's going to have another bottle no harm will come to him missing one meal.

To be honest I wouldn't have offered the beans on toast if he refused the first dinner. DD is 20 months, but if she refuses a dinner that I know she likes, she is offered fruit and yoghurt, and milk at bedtime, but that is all.

Tbh I would pull bath/bed forward tonight, he's prob exhausted and cranky from the heat

You too my dear

Thanks everyone

I fussed and offered all sorts with ds1 and ds2. With ds3 he got offered, took what he wanted and I cleared away. He is the only one good at self regulating what he eats. He eats only when he's hungry no matter what.

Give him his bottle and put to bed!

Just had a thought- if it's unusual for him then he might be coming down with something. DD recently had a cold with sore throat (it seems to be going around) and would howl at solid food but have mushy foods like cereal, yoghurt and milk OK. So that's what she lived on for a few days!

deep you may be right! he didn't have a great sleep today.

Only 1 hour instead of usual 2.5 hrs

Sometimes I feel I'm not great at this mothering thing.

Other people just seem to know what to do!

yes I wouldn't have offered an alternative either.

will be fine. they go through phases of no appetite and then stuffing it in like there is no tomorrow.

Is it hot there? Mine sometimes don't eat too well when they're too hot, just give him his milk as usual and try to get a sit down in for yourself!

I wouldn't have offered another meal but I would offer something extra before bed normally if they hadn't eaten main meal. I never battle over food. This is it, eat it or don't and there is nothing else. But as they get older I do encourage them to try and they stay at the table until everyone else is finished. Some times battles over food just becomes a very unnecessary stubborn stand off between parents and children.

Children do begin refusing food as they become more independent, it is a natural genetic memory instinct served to protect them from poisoning as they stray from the care giver. So it's a fairly normal development milestone at your ds age.

Not sure why you made him beans on toast. If he's hungry he will eat the chicken pasta no problem. He hasn't eaten it, so put the chicken pasta in the fridge and if he's hungry later he can have it cold.

Also if he makes a habit if not eating his tea, stop the snacks as they are just extras and not essential.

Nobody instinctively knows what to do all the time, in every situation either, thats why parenting forums are so popular!

Kids refuse food,doesn't make you bad mother.dont be so hard on yourself

Could he be teething?

That sounds very sensible. He obviously us not hungry, when my ds refuses tea time food, I do out him to bed with a bottle.

Chill your beans !
He's fine . Don't start making alternatives - huge accidental parenting trap .
Offer only good food and eventually they eat . As others said , food refusal is the first sign of a puking night ahead ! Never force for this reason alone !

If it's something that normally gets eaten I'd have assumed not hungry. I would have offered some cereal before bed (my toddler likes the mini shredded wheat) and given bed time milk as normal.

Waltons knows what shes talking about. Substitute meals are a nightmare situation what starts as an exception can easily become an expectation.