Help me get out of the trap of spoon feeding my 2 year old!

[ilikeyoursleeves]

DS1 (just turned 2) is going through a difficult food phase. Previously he has eaten anything, and has used a spoon and fork to feed himself fine. He has always had home cooked meals and for ages has what we are having for dinner and sits at the table with us. Sometimes in order to get anything in him I would give him a book or toy to distract him while I spoon fed him his breakfast (only when it's porridge, funnily enough he will eat Cheerios himself ) or dinner and I think he now expects this in a way. He eats sandwiches etc fine and was partly BLW'd so he isn't that used to be spoon fed all the time.

The past week or so he's barely eaten anything. He has his breakfast OK but then has refused any cooked meals and will only have a teeny bit of sandwich. He will still have some snacks and I make sure these are always healthy eg, banana, apple etc. So I end up trying to spoon feed him, using distractions again but I know this isn't a way to get him to eat it himself. But he doesn't drink any milk either so I end up feeding him to try to get some vitamins in him.

Any advice what I should do? Not sure whether to just take away any food that he doesn't eat so he clocks that he will get hungry? Or should I continue to feed him in the hope he will come out this phase?

anyone...?

I wouldn't worry too much about it tbh. DS1 is 2.8 and has only just started feeding himself at most meals (DH, who gives him breakfast, still likes to spoon-feed him his yoghurt because it makes less mess!). And he still likes me to read a book while he eats.

I think just turned 2 is too young to be left to go hungry although I'm sure others will disagree!

Maybe he just has a bug?? My two are pretty good eaters but hey can lose their appetite for a few days if tey have a touch of lurgi. Often no ther symptoms apart from some mild grumpines.

I feel your pain. My ds is 3.1 and a terrible eater, always has been. I still have to shovel it in or he won't eat anything. "Help me mummy, I can't do it". Etc etc.

My mum says if he rings me from college to say he needs help with the spag bol, then it's time to worry

can you get other children round who do use fork etc and let him admire them? or challenge him, I bet you can't eat two mouthful before I do, or suchlike

(None of this works for ds but it might for yours)

Good luck.

He can use a fork if he wants to eg, eat a whole bowl of pasta etc with fork, he just doesn't seem interested in food just now. Tonight he pushed his dinner away without trying it (unlike him) so just had half a slice of toast. Interestingly though, when DH went to eat his toast DS shouted 'no' and took 5 bites at once! Will try that tactic again

I just miss the days when I could sit him with a big bowl of something and he'd happily munch away

Are his molars coming through? It sounds like he might be feeling a bit under the weather.

I personally believe that we shouldn't force them to eat if they aren't hungry and that if we're feeling a bit poorly, we tend to go for high sugar stuff or very specific foods and LOs are the same. Also, if the body is busy trying to sort out a bug or something, then food is often the last thing it needs. Could you try offering smoothies as well as your fab sounding snacks and maybe he just needs to graze a bit at the mo rather than full on meals?

My DD went through a dreadful phase which lasted a few months and now at 2.10, she seems to be coming back out if it again.

it could be an age thing?

Yes maybe it is his teeth? He was sticking his hands in his mouth today so that might explain it. Maybe that's why he's liking cold fruit to suck etc? Good idea too re grazing, I'll try that tomorrow rather than having set meal times. I tend to chop some fruit up and leave it on the living room table so tomorrow I'll add some bits of cheese etc. Here's hoping it is indeed a phase and he will just come out of it.