2 year old still on soft foods.

[mumo3g]

We have a child where her mum provides her food. Now we have offered to provide food for her but mum has refused this. (at no extra charge) She is still on watery or soft foods. Not alot is there to chew on.

The child has been refusing to eat here and we put on the tv (not something we would normally do and don't like doing) and she opened her mouth and ate.

Now speaking with her mum she tells me that she feeds her. We have tried to encourage the child to feed herself but because it is soft or runny she has to be helped still. She gives up after a little while. It must be a fustraition for her.

I've asked mum if she could introduce finger foods. Things that she can feed herself with. Mum says she has breadsticks, apple and biscuits but nothing else.

Surely feeding her when there isn't nothing wrong for her is some sort of neglect? (not that I would say that to mum) The child isn't malnurished or anything but she is being taught to be lazy. She treats her like a doll!

Could you have a food theme and get permission to let them try different foods then make a list for mum saying which she enjoyed most? Might just encourage her to try them at home?

oh no no. Mum only wants to provide the food. As it is we can only give her yoghurt, apple and bannana. If we introduce anything else mum doesn't like it. Even if she turns her nose up on the yoghurt etc we are not to give her anything else. Even if we gave a list to her.

For me as a CM, this is a welfare issue if there is no medical reason for the child to only be given soft foods - and if it was a medical reason, you should have been told about it.

In your shoes, I'd be asking mum to come in for a chat about my concerns, perhaps armed with some factsheets and information about a healthy diet for toddlers.

Why is the mother being like this? Does she give any reason?
She is keeping her 2 year old on baby food and refuses to accept any ideas about bringing her child up to eat like others in its age group?
It sounds like she needs educating about child nutrition.
For example, does she know that she will be damaging her child's adult teeth by not giving the opportunity to chew?

I really don't think feeding a 2 year old is neglect.

I've known a few families like this and they've always been either French or Italian, which makes me think it might be a cultural thing. They also like them to have a really long (3/4 hour) nap at lunchtime and then keep them up until 9/10pm so they can take part in the family evening meal.

If the 'soft food' is nutritionally balanced and she's having fruit/biscuits/breadsticks to chew on then I don't think it's really a problem tbh. Not how I would do things, but not wrong or neglectful.

As long as child is cared for and fed I would not regard this as neglectful, just different from standard approach.

As a childcarer you need to respect the parent's decisions, even if you don't agree with them. This doesn't sound neglectful.

Interesting.

I look after a 2yr old. Mum provides the food most of the time. She is eating food suitable for a child up to 3. Heinz do some great meals. This allows her to chew pieces of food.

You have to trend carefully as its really the parents choice. You can only make a suggestion.It is important for a child that to develop their chewing etc

My two year old still uses a bottle for her milk. I would use a cup rather than bottle, but that is what mum chooses. I have to respect that.

Chewing also develops speech muscles, so a bit of research maybe needed before you meet to discuss next steps.

Like I say, that's why I'd get info about toddler diet together for the parent, if it's a cultural thing then they may be getting a varied soft food diet but like HSMM says chewing is part of developing muscled for speech too.

If the child is only having a very limited diet and is suffering because of it then it is a welfare issue and as a CM we are required by law to safeguard a child's welfare and to ensure they're offered a healthy, balanced diet if they are in the EYFS age range. Parental choice is of course to be taken into account but we can at least make sure we know parents are given information, not everyone is up to date with guidance

"Holyno", you are right about this being more culturally accepted in other countries. I am from a mediterranean country and I don't find anything wrong with spoon feeding a child that age or even a bit older. If the pureed food that she's eating is well balanced, she won't be malnourished. I would just accept the parent's choice for the moment, and if she's still insisting on this by the time the girl is 3, I would bring it up again.

Thanks guys. I have been bearing with it as I think yes it is to do with her Spanish roots. I naturally thought that at 1years old she would have been introduced to more solid meals but that is from an English standpoint. But a year on and it's still the same.

If anyone knows a way to find this research I would be grateful. Also if anyone knows where I can find out about Spanish custom in regard to food then that would be useful too. I've been looking around on the internet and can't find anything. Tried to talk about the diet that the girl is on but the aproach is that she isn't on a diet. I'm not meaning that she is on a slimming diet but diet being food. They are very closed and say that there is no diet.

I want to understand their culture but I need to know a time frame on this surely so I can work with it.

www.essentialbaby.com.au/baby/caring-for-baby/why-chewing-is-important-for-speech-development-20110324-1c8of.html

http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/baby/caring-for-baby/why-chewing-is-important-for-speech-development-20110324-1c8of.html trying the link again

Give up! Blasted phone!

Why don't you just go with the mother's preferences? She doesn't need to give you a time frame

RitaMorgan The OP's concern is that the mother's preferences are damaging the child. A childminder is required by law to safeguard a child's welfare.

Spoonfeeding a 2 year old isn't a safeguarding issue, how ridiculous.

ds1 wasnt keen on solids till well over 2 - however, he did like pasta and toast - so doing toast fingers/carrot battons etc he could dip into the sloppy stuff worked well. Worth offering the little girl cut up banana/soft foods to encourage her to feed herself.

No, spoonfeeding isn't, but not giving appropriate nutrition could be. My point is that 'just go with the mother's preferences' isn't always appropriate.

The OP hasn't suggested that she isn't getting appropriate nutrition.

Did I say that she had?

My point is that 'just go with the mother's preferences' isn't always appropriate..

In this situation it is though. The mother's parenting choices are perfectly adequate, it isn't the place of a childminder to tell her she should be parenting differently.

It certainly seems from the information posted that there is no need for concern, there is no welfare issue.

But in answer to your question, 'Why don't you just go with the mother's preferences', the response is 'a childminder is required by law to safeguard a child's welfare'.

If you are concerned about the welfare of child in your care, even if it turns out that the concern is unnecessary, the right thing to do is speak to other professionals/seek advice and seek more information/further research, which is exactly what the OP has done. To 'just go with the mother's preferences' when you feel their is cause for concern contravenes all child protection guidance.

there not their