Eating brilliantly at nursery but not at home

[Highlove]

Any advice/experience of this? Nursery tell me constantly what a champion little eater my DD is. You'd never know at home - if it's not banana or toast then she's not really interested. I do all the right stuff - give it to her, watch her chuck it about the room, take it away without comment - but she's been a picky, can't be bothered eater at home since we started weaning. I often eat with her but it doesn't really make a difference. Any advice? Or failing that, any thoughts when she might grow out if it. She's 13m.

Oh and she gets a good range of food to reject. Has done dince the start. Never done jars, we did mainly BLW from the off.

Maybe it's my cooking?

Mine is 2 and has gone through phases of not eating at home but eating at nursery. He has always been one to follow the crowd!

When DS was being really difficult a few months ago, he suddenly started eating again after a weekend away visiting family, where mealtimes were very busy.

Sounds like you're doing everything right, so try not to worry. It's frustrating, isn't it?

How often is she at nursery? If she's eating well at lunch at nursery then honestly if she just wants banana and toast I'd let her.

even when they are older you still have to "read" your kids. sometimes at end of day or week they get tired and that's not the day to be experimenting. If she's been at nursery all day she will be tired and probably unresponsive to new foods or stuff she doesn't fancy. I'd stick to a light tea

At least you know she's eating well part of the day/week! Mine go through phases of this too. The good kind of peer pressure seems to encourage eating in nursery, and your DD might not be hungry when at home. All you can do is keep offering good choices and she will eat when hungry.

Thanks both. She's in 3 days a week and has all her meals there those days, apart from a snack when she gets home. It's the other four days that worry me.

I get that it's a phase but she's a wee slim little thing so it does worry me.

First up look at it over the week. three days she eats really well.

The rest of the time play around. of she's a big breakfast eater start making am omelette with peppers and cheese and maybe some ham or chicken. make that the meal that provides the biggest hit.

If she prefers to eat a big lunch then serve lunch as the main meal.

dinner, well you want her calm and relaxed so that's the meal I'd resign to being the toast and banana.

The main thing is its stress free, and fun and as Pp said just provide her with the opportunity and she will take it in her own time

Thanks - I'd forgotten that when she was littler I used to only offer really 'safe' stuff at dinner as that's always been out worst meal. Can't believe I forgot. Will try that again for a bit.

Good luck

Isn't it funny how we live and die by whatever is the current failsafe, then once the phase has passed, completely forgot about it?! I saw my friends' newborn the other day and so much came flooding back that I'd forgotten I ever knew!

Do you eat with her on the days she's with you? If not I'd try that because possibly she eats at nursery because watching the other kids crack on with it.

Sounds so familiar!!!

We got round it by doing bigger meal at lunch like nursery and smaller snacky type dinner with small snacks in between, previously he just wouldn't entertain dinner at home but ate loads at lunch but I had the same comments about being brilliant eater at nursery. He always has a full hot meal like pasta etc at nursery but at home I was trying to give him smaller lunch like a sandwich and hot meal at dinner, switched it round and is working well!

Are meals calmer there?

i think this is common with nursery- they see the other kids eating there and take their cue; also they know they are not likely to get a sub dinner / snack if they don't eat what's coming when they are there, whereas at home parents are more likely to crumble!

my DS is still doing this age 2.5. Apparently he eats all sorts at nursery yet when I cook the same things at home he refuses to put them in his mouth. Have had some success with completely cutting out any snacks on days he's at home, to ensure he's actually hungry when dinner rolls around. Even then though it can be tricky and makes me pull my hair out some days!!

I've realised stressing is no help so generally give him something I know he will eat (as healthy as I can manage him to eat) but there are times he's better at eating and times he's worse.

Just try not to stress and give her a few things she enjoys and try not to fill her up with milk / too many heavy snacks between meals.

Another thing is be careful nursery aren't giving snacks close to home time (meaning she's not hungry when she gets home) - they seem to ply my DS with crackers, breadsticks etc even close to home time!! have told them to stop but I am sure they still do it!