Irritating new phase - DD2 suddenly refusing to be spoon fed or to spoon feed herself

[mintymellons]

She is almost 16 months and has always been a brilliant eater, not fussy at all and has a large appetite.

Anyway, a couple of months ago I started giving her a loaded spoon and she would feed herself a bit while I fed her the rest of her meal. Then, a few weeks ago she decided she no longer wanted to hold the spoon herself and batted it away, preferring me to spoon feed her instead. Now, in the last few days, she has just started to refuse to be spoon fed AT ALL. She had no lunch today as she just wouldn't eat it - this is the first time she has gone without a meal!

I'm sure it's a control/independence thing. She's quite happy with finger foods, but I find that a bit limiting.

Does anyone have any advice for encouraging her back to the spoon (ideally back to spoon feeding herself). I'm sure it's a phase but it's an annoying one!

BTW, I just gave her her tea and she started to refuse it, but I managed to get a bit in her mouth and then she happily let me spoon feed her the rest (it's like she she has an auto response to refuse it, but then realises it's tasty and then eats it), but I can't be doing with this battle at the start of every meal.

DD is 16mo and doesn't use a spoon, nor has she ever been spoon fed.

It's not limiting, just messier - custard, yoghurt, bol...pretty much anything can be eaten with fingers. Will she use her fingers to eat or is it a total self-feeding refusal?

I would see it as her just testing you - sign of her growing up:) I would just give her meals as usual, with a couple of spoons. Eat with her, chat about the weather etc and just let her get on with it. She will soon learn by copying you. (my DS2 refused to be fed from 7 months, ad he just wanted to copy his big brother!)

Thanks.

It's not a total refusal, Flisspaps as she's fine with finger foods. I had intended to go down the BLW route with her, but in the end chose to do a 50/50 spoon/finger foods option instead for various reasons.

I do usually give her a spoon and and have one that I feed her with. She just uses hers to push the food around with.

I'm sure she won't starve as she's quite greedy really - I guess I've had it easy for long enough and now she's moving on!

My dd went through this phase. I just changed what she ate so that they were more finger foods and then gradually reintroduced foods that needed cutlery. So finger foods that she had at that stage were - chicken and fish gujons, kebabs, quesadillas, burgers (beef, chicken and veg), pancake wraps etc etc. She ate some interesting and new foods during this phase, which lasted a few months.

Then I'd just give her what you'd normally give her, perhaps without the spoon for a few days, let her use her hands and then reintroduce the spoon again to see if she regains her interest :)

May be of no help but Annabel Karmel has a nice book on fingerfoods. I've used some of her recipes with mixed success for my picky dd.

Thanks, all good advice.