DS suddenly a fussy eater.

[BustleInYourHedgerow]

DS(12mo) has eaten feck all for the last few weeks. Getting really frustrated now, because he used to eat everything (with the exception of eggs and pasta.)

He eats his breakfast every morning, (banana + porridge, with fruit and yoghurt).

He eats snacks no bother. (Usually fruit, yoghurt,/ cheese & raisins/ bread & cheese/ ricecakes.

But he will not eat lunch or dinner. I have always made all his meals and bought him a premade one tonight out of desperation. He ate about 2 spoons of it and I felt like throwing it against the wall.

I have tried making his food lumpier. I have tried his favourite meals. I have tried new recipes. I have tried giving him the spoon and bowl to eat it himself. (Disasterous). Also giving him his own spoon to eat from while I try to feed him. He will pick at finger food (green beans, broccoli, frozen peas) sometimes instead.

I don't think teething is the cause, he's never been off his food due to teething before.

I am at the end of my tether and need some suggestions from wise MNetters please!

I'm not sure what's wrong.
A baby who doesn't eat too much.

That's what babies do.
They fanny about, being a pain, barely eating and what they do eat, they make you work for.

One mouthful for you, and I bet you are watching now

It's your first child right?

Babies and toddlers go through phases when they don't really eat anything.

Don't turn mealtimes into a battleground. If he doesn't want to eat then let him not eat. Just make sure he's still getting plenty of milk.

Are you breastfeeding? It can be reassuring if you are when they do this I found.

You do have to take a deep breath when they hit this sort of patch. Make small amounts of things to eat... big praise if they eat it... no big deal if they don't but no alternatives either (that's a slippery slope). If he's getting a decent breakfast and some substantial snacks plus drinks of milk then he's very unlikely to starve.

Calm...calm...calm....

Childrens appetites can vary so much - my dd who's three ate well until about 2 but frequently has spells when she seems to eat very little and declares everything "yuk!" (even if she ate it happily a day or two earlier). My twins are 18 months, one eats everything, the other has days where she picks at tiny morsels and throws much of her food on the floor. Children seem to have an amazing capacity to survive on very little, or very limited variety of food. Trick is not to let it grind you down, or turn meals into a battle.

Maybe your lo is eating too much early in the day and just isn't hungry enough in the afternoon? Try reducing or cutting out his snacks, not all children need them (my oldest dd didn't). Also make sure he's not having too much to drink just before eating.

And don't try too hard, being offered too much choice, or too many new foods, can put children off and they'll retreat to what they know. And you'll send yourself a bit mad with the effort

Normal normal normal normal NORMAL. Honestly. DS once ate nothing but grapes for 4 days. (and milk of course).

If you are breastfeeding that's great, you know he's getting all he needs. If not, make sure he does get plenty of milk. He's just learnt he CAN say no, that he doesn't HAVE to eat - it's the one thing he can control in his world, and control it he will! Don't be tempted to force feed him, sit him at table wityh you and the rest of the family with finger food, and ignore him. Some days he'll eat, some days not. Smile and clap when he does, ignore when he doesn't. Expect the fuxssy eating to last months (with odd patches of good eating again).

Ok thanks everyone for reassuring me, think I am being a bit PFB with him but he just used to have such a huge appetite compared to what he eats now. He is taking a lot of milk so he's making up for it, at least.

Also talked to my mother today and she said the same as everybody here has. She also suggested homemade custard which was very succesful for lunch

Think I'm just going to go the finger food route and see what happens.

I was going to post the same problem - 20 month son used to eat lovely homemade casseroles, spag bol all sorts. He is now reduced to porride with banana, cheese on toast and yoghurt - thats it. No meat/fish/veg/fruit, its driving me totally mad. I don't know what to do, last couple of days he has been off the cheese on toast! It is very difficult to stay calm and not make it into an issue - also, I feel like I am eating more to compensate and comfort eating. Any foolproof recipes for fussy toddlers anyone? Good luck BustleInYourHedgerow.

I decided to stop freaking out about it and gave him bits of whatever we were eating, along with roasted butternut squash/sweet patato/parsnip + carrots in wedge shapes and he started eating...so I assume it was a control thing or evil teeth striking again. Either way, he's been making up for lost time by eating me out of house and home the past few days

How's your son doing Sarah?

" Any foolproof recipes for fussy toddlers anyone?"

Ours was baked beans! I reasoned that at least beans are a good source of fibre, iron and protein.

hey bustle i have just posted a message like yours before seeing this, and think i will have to keep looking at your last post to reassure me it will end! its driving me bonkers and quite upsetting too.