Not eating properly

[GillL]

DD 12 months used to eat really well. I have always made her dinners such as chicken and veg, fish, potato and cheese etc but now she refuses them. She will eat anything off our dinner plates but if I serve it up to her specially then she won't touch it.
I thought it might be that she didn't want to be spoon fed anymore but I have tried giving her finger food other than sandwiches, toast and biscuits. She will eat a bit and then refuse any more. It's getting quite difficult because I am having to give her a bottle at 8pm and then another one later on in the evening. Otherwise she will wake in the night because she is not getting enough to eat in the day.
Any suggestions gratefully received.

A friend of mine has a son who went through a similar phase at about 12 - 14 months. She eventually cracked it by putting food out on the table in separate little bowls for him to help himself from - little cherry tomatoes, bits of carrot, pieces of meat, new potatoes and so on. It meant he ate what he fancied rather than what she put on his plate, and put him in control of his own eating. It was no more hassle than giving him his food all on one plate (little bit more washing up though!) and within a couple of weeks he was chosing the food and putting it onto his own plate, and pretty soon afterwards he was eating normally again.

Great idea. I'll try that. Thanks.