Sharing food and giving up on the bottle (not me, my daughter!)

[shinyshilling]

Can you let me know your views on sharing food with your kids. My daughter is 1, vegetarian and is a really unfussy eater. We have never had any problems, however, if we have something different to her, she has started to get a bit stroppy and refuse her food. Whilst I want her to continue to be happy to try new and different foods, I keep wondering if I'm making her choosy by letting her taste what we are eating in favour of her own food. I'm also aware that this is probably just part of her developing her own independence - but I don't want to be doing the wrong thing!

Also, I've read that by now she should be giving up her bottle. She has milk in the morning on waking and at night before sleep. The rest of the day she drinks water from an unlided cup (doesn't like beakers). We've just bought her a cup with a straw and she seems to be okay with it in the morning but at night she seems to prefer her bottle. Should I push on and try to minimise the bottle use or should I not worry too much. She only only ever drinks milk or water and never juice.

Thanks for any advice given.

I think what you are doing is fine, if you have a varied diet and she is tasting that, where's the problem? Much easier in my opinion for everyone to eat the same thing! If you want her to have something new, you have it too!

My 14 month old still has morning and evening bottles. I keep thinking I should be trying to get her off them, but then think, 'where's the harm?'. She loves the comfort twice a day, never carries a bottle around (which I think is where the tooth decay worry comes from). She drinks water fine from a cup during the day. I think I'll stop when she tells me to, like she did with other bottles.

When are they 'supposed' to give up their evening bottle then?

Why don't you all just eat the same?

We don't always eat the same because it's not always practical in terms of time. I cook and freeze meals for my daughter so that she eats at a time appropriate for her. We eat our evening meal late and it's not ideal to have a hungry baby hanging around while I prepare food for her.

I'm confused then. if you eat late when is it that she wants what you are eating?

Here's an example Lucy, this morning for breakfast my husband had musili with nuts in and toast with cheese. My daughter and I had rice crispies. She wanted to try his breakfast. Last night for tea, we had cauliflower cheese, which she will have for lunch today. That's when she eats her main meal and we will eat at 8pm tonight when she's in bed. However over the weekend, when we all share similar hours, we will all eat the same food because we are happy to eat a larger meal at lunchtime with her. When she goes to the childminder during the week I send food with her, and can't therefor expect the childminder to eat the same food as my daughter. So whilst in theory, eating the same food seems to resolve the issue, it's not always practical.

I think getting them to try food you are eating is brilliant. Mine (3 and 5) love trying food off our plate. In fact saying "I won't put any of this on your plate as you probably won't eat it" is pretty much the quickest way to get them to eat something.

We went to a cafe for breakfast last Saturday and I ordered them both croissants and a bacon sandwich for myself. As soon as mine came to the table they were all over it and declared it their favourite thing ever. Bet they wouldn't have done that if I actually ordered tem one.