TIME OF MEALS (GINA FORD BABY)

[BabyPom]

Have followed GF from 2 weeks - dd is now nearly 14 months and eats 3 good meals a day - breakfast about 7.30am, lunch at 11.30am and tea about 4.30 pm (4.45 pm if I can distract her).

My question is - how on earth can I get her to eat lunch at 12 (I eat my lunch with her and it would be so nice to eat at a "proper" lunch time) - and hence maybe get her to 5pm for tea? She's very clued up on meal times and starts indicating towards the kitchen about 11.15 and then makes lip smacking noises and doesn't let up until we sit down for lunch.

She is still having 30 mins nap 9.15 - 9.45 and gets really tired at 12.15 - so usually goes down at 12.30 for 1 to 2 hours.

Any answers or am I just being picky??

I can't believe she's still having an early sleep - how nice for you. (having said that, if you dropped it she could probably have a regular 2hrs at lunchtime?) What time does she wake up? You could give her milk when she wakes (I do it in my bed with books), then wait until around 1hr after the milk for breakfast. This will put lunch and tea on, as you can imagine. Also, at this age a small mid morning and mid afternoon snack is not just ok, but desirable. Strengthens flagging blood sugar levels, and keeps them going for a later meal. I did gf from 3 weeks, and ds was a near pefect gina baby, but by this age you can loosen up a lot. The main thing with gf at this stage is it helps you and the kid get your sleep and the routine should help you both to know where you are. I wanted to stay later at playgroups, friends houses etc., and not be rushing off. If she wakes at 2.30 / 3pm and tea is at 4.30pm then you've no time for much. I would rather feed my ds at home, where there is less distraction, than feed him out as well, apart from once or twice a week when he has tea at friends houses.

To give you an idea what my ds has done since around 18mths (he's 25 months now):
8am: wake up and cup of milk.
9am: breakfast.
mid morning snack.
12 - 12.30pm: lunch.
1 - 1.30pm: 1.5hr sleep. Up by 3pm, whatever.
mid afternoon snack.
5 - 5.30pm: tea. I find I can stretch this until 6pm if he's had a big lunch.
7.30pm: cup of milk and bed, lights out by 8pm latest, depending on books etc., what I'm doing.

I know I'm lucky in that ds sleeps late, but it should give you an idea.

Does she have a mid morning snack. Dd usually has a biscuit or piece of fruit at about 10.00am.

Go back to the 9-12 month routine and start by trying to push lunch forwards to 11.45 with the nap starting around 12.30.

I don't know if you have the follow on GF book but the timings it suggests for an 18 month old are

7.30am - 8.00am Milk & Breakfast (cereal, yoghurt, toast)

9.30am - 10.00am Piece of fruit & juice/water

12.00noon Lunch

3.00pm Piece of fruit or biscuit & juice/water

5.00pm Tea

7.00pm Bedtime Milk

Obviosuly you will need to work towards these timings from the suggested 9-12 month ones.

My dd is now 27 months and we have managed to push her lunch to 12.30 with her nap from 1.00pm.

Would you believe it - lunch at 11.45 and tea at 5pm for 3 days now and not a whimper! Eating well (apart from today as he has picked up another cold).

Thanks for the advice though chaps - it's nice to know what routines other people have and how they work.
Thank you!