18 month old - help needed with food

[poppy101]

In the past always followed the GF routine, since lo has become a toddler, I have noticed that the last couple of weeks food patterns completely changed. Could be because he is teething and just not interested in food, but I honestly don't think that his teething is really effecting lo that much.

I'll give you the general pattern of what is happening now and the meal times, would appreciate any advice and info from other mums of how they coped with feeding a young toddler. I don't want lo to get fussy !!!

7.30am Breakfast normally 1 weetabix, or porridge or cornflakes. (in total including milk used in cereal - prob. only taken about 4-5floz milk).
8.30am Half a piece of toast.
9.30am Rice cakes, perhaps a biscuit. 1/4-1/2 an apple. Water to drink.
I leave his milk in beaker out from morning but lo won't drink it.
11.30am Lunch - usually something like fish fingers and veg or lamb hotpot and half a little yogurt and some fruit. Water to drink.
Today refused to eat anything for lunch, had a few mouthfuls of yogurt, so put to bed as tired.
2.00pm Snack - normally 1 biscuit, bread stick, some fruit. Water to drink.
4.30pm Tea - might be boiled egg, refuses toast often. Might eat cheese sticks. Rice pudding or semolina for a pudding.
6.30pm Milk for bed.

Don't really know if I should change the eating times and give light snack for lunch and try and give bigger dinner in the evening. I find at lunchtimes now getting so tired, but evening again is so tired.

What can I do ??? Any ideas would be appreciated.

When does he sleep and for how long?

Well today he went down at 12 as so tired, at the moment normally only sleeping for an hour and a half. (Sometimes sleeps up to 2 hrs). Normally up by 2pm.

Normally asleep by 7pm and up at 7am in the morning.

Do you wake him or does he wake after that amount of time? Am assuming he wakes himself.

Is he teething atm?

Can you write down everything he eats for a week or so - am sure he'll be eating more than you think. They don't need that much to thrive, honestly.

That's about twice what my 18 month old eats and she seems ok

I think he's eating a lot at the start of the day, is he miserable or exceptionally tired if not then don't qworry

Wakes up himself.

Not sure he is teething, does point to teeth quite a lot in the day, and dribbling, only 4 teeth at the moment and a late child at teething. There are some due to come up and look sore but I don't think this is too bad for him.

I understand that he is getting tired at mealtimes, is it worth pushing the mealtimes forward a little bit ???

Only weighs a little over 10kg at the moment, very active child, won't sit still for long. Just concerned that he might be eating enough.

KateF was time do you normally feed your 18month old ?

I find that DS1 (22mo) has "hungry" days - he will literally not stop eating. And other days he'll refuse most things. I let him eat as much as he wants and trust him to know whether he's hungry or not.

Perhaps try having a bit less food in the morning - feeding him something at 7.30, 8.30 and 9.30 means he's probably still quite full for his big lunch and too tired to eat anything for a snacky tea. Perhaps cut out a snack from the morning and offer a more snacky lunch, then a hot dinner?

I know that he might eat too many snacks in the morning, but find that he will often go around signing that he is hungry and will go into my changing bag hunting for rice cakes. What do I do ? I always felt that if they were hungry then I should feed on request.

Could try a light lunch. Offered a hot dinner this lunch time and then something cold but wasn't interested. I also find that if I give things like sandwiches, that he takes out the filling and leaves the bread.

Can you try distracting him so he has a bigger gap between snacks in the morning?

could he have his nap without lunch as 11.30 is quite early and eat shortly after getting up and a bit later in the evening?

Yes I could try this and give him food at 2pm, what time would I then give him his tea ??

ZTT, DS1 does this too - he'll often have his lunch at 3pm and his dinner at 6pm (or later) depending when he sleeps during the day. I have a laid-back attitude to sleep and food though...doesn't suit everyone!

Well, I have two at school as well so we have breakfast at about 7.15, she has a snack (fruit, breadsticks etc) at around 10.30 and then sandwich, fruit, cheese or yogurt at childminder at 12 15 ish. Tea is cooked meal (stew, spag bol, fishfinger kind of thing) at about 5pm. She is still b/feeding so has a couple of little feeds in the daytime and some in the night.

motherfunkerhunkermunker what time do you put your lo down to bed in the evening and do you give milk to your lo at bedtime ?

KateF, so your lo doesn't really have a big breakfast ???

KateF what time does your lo go down for bed in the evening ?

He's not a huge milk fan, but is a cheese fiend.

He goes to bed between 7.30 and 9 - usually about 8 though. Just depends when he's slept during the day. If we're out in the day, he'll often only have a nap in the car for an hour or so, so I try to make bedtime earlier. He's a very adjustable little chap though - makes it easy to be flexible. I fully appreciate not every child is like that.

Sorry to ask all these questions but first time mum, was enjoying the fact that my lo ate so well before becoming a toddler and find following a strict routine like GF brill. Since lo has become more independent been a bit of a pain with eating !!!

No, she's not a breakfast girl! Usually toast with marmite or peanut butter and about half a banana. That's why I pack a snack for mid-morning but she often just picks at it.

DS1 usually eats a man-sized bowl of porridge in the morning, has a snack or two mid-morning (10.30ish), naps about 11-11.30 for about three hours, wakes and eats a snacky lunch (sandwiches, grapes, banana, yoghurt kind of thing), has some milk in the afternoon if he asks for it - he's started doing this more regularly recently - then a biggish hot dinner about 5.30-6.30.

My lo motherfunkerhunkermunker so far loves his sleep and at bedtime is ready to go off to sleep at 7pm, might get later as he gets older. Always been an early one for bed.

I find that he has his bedtime routine started at 6pm and then chats to his cuddly for 15-30mins. before he sleeps, very rarely wakes up before 6.30am. Therefore I probably couldn't give him food to late in the evening before bed.

She goes to bed about 7.45. It's a bit later than I would like but she won't settle before the others and I have to get them all bathed and two lots of reading/spellings/bedtime story done. She's always up at about 6.30 and has a sleep from about 1.30-2.30.

My lo motherfunkerhunkermunker so far loves his sleep and at bedtime is ready to go off to sleep at 7pm, might get later as he gets older. Always been an early one for bed.

I find that he has his bedtime routine started at 6pm and then chats to his cuddly for 15-30mins. before he sleeps, very rarely wakes up before 6.30am. Therefore I probably couldn't give him food to late in the evening before bed.

My lo motherfunkerhunkermunker so far loves his sleep and at bedtime is ready to go off to sleep at 7pm, might get later as he gets older. Always been an early one for bed.

I find that he has his bedtime routine started at 6pm and then chats to his cuddly for 15-30mins. before he sleeps, very rarely wakes up before 6.30am. Therefore I probably couldn't give him food to late in the evening before bed.