Toddlers and meal times. #losingthewill

[myotherbagisgucci]

I posted recently about my DD who has stopped taking any milk since she was poorly a few weeks ago.

She's now 14 months and seems to hate everything I offer her. She was previously a good eater and now I'm lucky if I can get her to eat a whole meal.

I've done a mixture of BLW and spoon feeding, which had worked brilliantly. But now she just throws any finger food or pre loaded spoons on the floor and spits out anything I try and feed her.

Last night, she refused the two meals I offered her for dinner and just fell asleep with having nothing since lunch. She was clearly hungry when she woke up this morning and drank 7oz's of milk and ate a bowl of porridge. But today has again been hard work with lunch and dinner.

I'm guessing this is probably a phase, but I seem to spend most my day trying to get her to eat something, which is frustrating to say the least.

Any tips from some experienced toddler mummies out there!! 🙏🏼

Mine are teens now, but as she has accepted the milk and porridge I would just carry on as you are. She needs to rebuild trust in the things she eats and that will only happen if she does in her own time.

I know that it’s frustrating but the best way is take it slowly and don’t make it a battle of wills.

I think it's highly unlikely she will starve herself if she's waking up hungry in the morning and eating. Agree not to make it a battle of wills. I'd set her in her chair for each meal, offer up things she used to like, and leave her to feed herself if she wants them. I wouldn't spoon feed at this stage as it's just going to get you both worked up. Let her see that food is available and if she declines, so be it. Offer up milk in between the next meals. She will eventually start eating.

If she is not waking up durring the night hungry then I won’t worry. Keep an eye on her weight and like all toddler behaviour it will eventually pass.

Thank you, I try not to show my frustration in front of her and I offered her all her favourite meals today. All of which (except the morning milk and porridge) were rejected, pushed away, spat out or thrown on the floor.

She also only sleeps through 2 out of 7 nights. Where previously (before she got poorly) she'd sleep through 5 out of 7 nights.

I just don't know what to do! I'm 38 weeks pregnant with DC2 and ideally I'd like to nip this in the bud before baby is here. 😢

DS has done this a couple of times. Accepted very little to the point that we went back to jars of baby food just so he'd eat something. That and fruit/yogurt/more milk for calories. It didn't last long, I also think his teeth were not helping either.
He's now eating everything again.
It is likely a phase, is there a food you know she'll eat? If she'll eat porridge, offer porridge and then see where you are in a couple of days.

So you've done traditional weaning then. At 14 months ahead doesn't have to have milk as long as she's getting calcium from other sources such as cheese, yougurt, etc. I'd she not eating in highchair until she's fully back to herself why not try doing picky foods and putting a plate in room where she is so she can go and pick at it when she wabtd. Not the greatest but I done this with my son after he was bad after an operation and he was back to eating normal in a week. Good look with both my dear

Hate to say but I do think it’s one of those irritable phases you can’t avoid!
My DS has just turned 16 months and up until last week he was exactly the same. He’s still bf twice a day so doesn’t drink milk otherwise, but he’d have his morning feed, breakfast, then nothing. Maybe a banana if I was lucky! Otherwise it was just the same as you’ve said OP, throwing food on the floor, refusing to eat and going absolutely ballistic if I tried to spoon feed him.
As hard as it is, I was told to try not to react. The more frustrated I was getting by DS not eating and trying to get him to eat, the more he’d resist. What I started doing was offering him a meal in his high chair, something I knew he liked, then turn away and ‘look busy’ doing something else instead of sitting next to him (obviously still watching him to make sure he’s safe!) and most times that actually worked. If he kicked off and refused, I’d say OK, take the food away and take him out of his high chair then try again later.
DS has recently recovered from a nasty bug of tonsillitis too so I do think being poorly makes it worse.
Hope that’s of some use to you, good luck!!

Update: DD is slowly (don't want to jinx anything) improving. She seems to eat most of the sweeter foods I give her such as porridge, fruit, yoghurts etc. and not so well with the more savoury nutritious meals.

DH made moussaka for tea last night and she only ate half a portion, but then was happy to eat all of a biscuit he gave her for afters.

I know that we need to decrease the sweeter foods, but I'm glad she's started eating something.

Both of mine went through this after illness around the same age. A bit of a catch 22 because I personally just wanted to get food into them so let them have plenty of yog, grapes and all the things I knew they'd eat (obviously not copious amounts of biscuits flapjack etc) but for us ultimately it led to really picky eating. It's hard when you're worried and just want them to eat. I'd say keep and eye on weight and keep offering all the usual things. What about slightly sweeter veg like sweet potato or avocado or maybe pasta and pesto...