How do you prevent food from becoming a battle?

[Ewe]

Is there a way?

DD is 11 months and keeps throwing strops when put in highchair, throwing food etc. My approach is to just ignore it and take it away when we have all finished.

DP however keeps trying to make her eat, choo choo noises with the spoon (she hates being fed at the best of times), trying to sneak bits in.

Both of these approaches seem to make DD even angrier! Not sure what is best to do, don't want to make food an ishoo as I suspect it is just a power thing as she loves her food.

Disclaimer - both my DD1 was a very enthusiastic BFer and has always had a healthy appetite, so it's quite likely that I've had an easier job with solid food that you're having.

Anyway, we always were very chilled out about food. We realised quite early on that not much that we could do would make any difference and gave up the "choo choo" thing. We put food in front of her, and she has to have one bite. If she doesn't seem keen then we ignore the food and her and let her try things at her own pace. If she has eaten some (even a tiny amount) and tells us that she's finished then we praise her for trying it and take it away. She always gets the same amount of "pudding" - fruit or yoghurt - so avoiding dinner doesn't get her any more sweet stuff. We also try to eat together as much as possible (not so easy now we have DD2) so that she can see that we're eating the same food and she often asks to try some of ours.

Good luck.

Whoops! Was going to write that both DDs have BF enthusiastically and realised that DD2 is irrelevant because she isn't weaned yet. Anyway, you get the idea.

My DS is 14mnths and has just started with the food throwing thing too. Im ignoring, and then offering a yoghurt afterwards.

Im a believer in "they wont starve themselves" so will eat when they are ready.

Ds has today eaten - a bowl of rice crispies, a banana, 5 grapes, a quater of a slice of toast and possibly 2 pieces of carrot and a roast potato.... followed by the yoghurt.

Excellent, will proceed with the ignoring and pretend we're really relaxed about it! Must remember to praise her when she eats well too.

I am sure she wouldn't starve herself but she is only on the 9th centile so I am probably a bit over cautious when it comes to food. She still has four bottles a day although HV has suggested we cut one out to try and make her more interested in solid food but not sure about it myself.

DD loves grapes, would eat a whole bunch if given the chance! I guess she maybe just doesn't always fancy what we offer her. We eat together at weekends but during the week she eats at nursery where incidentally she eats incredibly well!

I think if she eats well for the majority of the week I wouldnt be worrying too much.

Maybe ask what nursery are feeding her so you can try and offer the same sorts of foods at home..... also how do they feed her and do they give her forks and spoons etc.

Anything that helps mimic what nursery does might help x

I definitely think that DD eats better at nursery due to the other babies being around - although she does get told off for climbing on the table! She sits on a low table at nursery as well so isn't that used to being in a highchair. She BLW's wherever she is, total refusal of cutlery!

Or maybe I just need to have loads of babies over for every meal