Help - Lazy toddler!!

[LizzyA123]

Hi, my 26mth old DS has started expecting me to feed him again. If food requires cutlery he will sit there and play with it or ignore it until I put it in his mouth. DS develops hypoglycaemia (very low blood sugar) if he misses food and has been hospitalised a few times, so I can't refuse to feed him for several meals in a row.

Any suggestions on how to make this suddenly lazy but perfectly capable boy start feeding himself again so I can eat my own food and mealtimes don't drag on for ages - please ,

Special cutlery? We got a lot of mileage out of some new knives and forks with pink handles for dd. But to be honest, she carried on liking being fed until she was well over 3. Not all the time, but often. What about inviting other children round, so he is eating with lots of others ? might motivate him to join in?

Or just avoid the problem. Stop giving him food that needs cutlery. Finger food will be fine for a while (and most food can in fact be eaten with fingers, as my ds of 20 months proves). Don?t make it an issue, and I expect sooner or later he?ll forget about it and find some other way to torment you.

Agree with above. My dd is 3 and still likes to use her fingers to eat her food- even her cereal. Hes not lazy,hes just 2-a baby. Try not to make it a battle of wills-perhaps you could cut his food for him, then just sit and enjoy your meal.Sometimes, as parents, our expectations of toddlers and young children are too high and this causes us frustration. He will use cutlery when hes ready, and perhsps he enjoys mummys attention at meal times.Above is right-he will soon torment you with something else.

hi
Am I being unreasonable in expecting a four and a quarter year old to feed himself breakfast and dinner, using spoons and forks (as required)? Finger food at lunch time is just about manageable. He is a very bright little boy in all other respects - speaks well, understands too much, helps with little tasks around the house, has a very enquiring mind, etc. Meals take forever and always seem to end up in a battle.
thanks!

Get another toddler and make them eat together (I don't mean steal one, most mums will be delighted to offload a kid for a mealtime!) It made a huge difference to our DD - she got very competitive about who was going to eat the most broccoli

Hi again,

Several months later and still no improvement, DS2 is 3 this weekend and mealtimes are taking longer and longer. I can serve our family of 5 a main course, eat it, serve, eat dessert and clear away and my DS2 will still be happily sitting there ignoring his now cold food unless it is put in his mouth. As I said in my original post DS develops hypoglycaemia if he misses food and has been hospitalised a few times, so I can't refuse to feed him for several meals in a row. DS2's Nursery has commented on it now. DS2 is quite capable of using a spoon and fork but so lazy that I think if I could chew his food for him he would be happy with that . Any more tips other than those above

I just had this issue and the nursery said "oh yes, its probably because the rest of his class are younger and still eating with their fingers!" I wasn't very happy. Is he one of the oldest in his nursery class by any chance?

Hi skinsl,

No he isn't the oldest in his group 2.75 - 4 seems to be the range. He only recently moved up to this group but seems to be enjoying himself. He doesn't have a problem with food itself, in fact he enjoys a wide variety of things including strong flavours such as strong cheddar, marmite, pickle, chilli. I am coming to the conclusion that most food doesn't grab his interest (I wonder if he finds it bland) and there are far more interesting activities to occupy his hands with.