tantrums at lunch time ... and tea time - what should i do?

[choufleur]

Help! My ds, 17 months, has just started having tantrums at meal times . He used to be a really good eater and would try anything we put in front of him. The problems seems to be eating when he's in his booster seat. He spits food out, throws it on the floor etc and basically screams. I've tried letting him feed himself, spoon feeding him (although he's quite good with a spoon), given him finger food but same result. If we let him toddle about eating he's fine, so it's abviously something to do with sitting still.

Any ideas? should we make him sit in his seat and not give him any alternatives (which means he'll be hungry)?

Is he big enough to kneel up on an ordinary chair?

DD was doing that from age 18 months because she hated being strapped in. She is little for her age so could barely see her food but she was happy (being like her big brother).

he could sit on a normal seat, he's very big for his age. Not sure he'd sit still but worth a try, thanks otherside

Once they're 'free' it's hard to get them to stay at the table long enough to eat more than a couple of mouthfuls but they get the hang of it if that's the only place food is available.

Try taking the pressure off. Food is the only thing that toddlers can control in their lives and often use it to assert their growing independence. If you don't make it an issue, it will gradually stop being one. Toddlers are naturally predisposed to graze rather than eat set meals but most will want to join the rest of the family at the table if they see it is an enjoyable, social part of family life and if they don't think it's a chore they have to do. I would have a week or two of letting him come and go as he pleases and, if it's important to you that he only has food at the table, make that clear to him. If it's not important to you, let him eat where he fancies with the understanding that as he gets older, if the rest of the family model fun, social mealtimes, he'll probably want to join in and will start having more regular meal times and sitting at the table to eat them.