Feeding 1 yo, feel like I'm doing it wrong

[lazymumsmh]

My DS is 13 months, he hates meal times and now so do I (in fact I dread it)

I feel like we've tried every approach - his own bowl/spoon, finger food on tray, tried going back to baby food jars, sitting with tv on, sitting in kitchen, sitting with us while we eat etc. I've tried one piece of food at a time, a bowl with everything in it, handing him food.

He will throw food on the floor constantly while all the time staring me in the eye (he knows its bad) sometimes he does it before eating taking a single bite. I don't react at all, just pick it all back up and put it in the bin.

If he has a bowl he'll spend the whole time trying to rip it up from his tray to chuck on the floor.

If you eat with him at the same time he spends the whole time crying and trying to grab your food, or pulling his food out of his mouth and chucking it on the floor so he can have yours.

I'm just at my wits end with it all. I think he wants to be independent - but at the same time he hates meal time because its boring and he'd rather be off playing.

The only time he eats properly and decent amounts is if I sit down with his bowl of food, spoon / hand some to him every so often while let him wonder around the house. He'll come back every so often and ends up finishing a lot of food this way.

WWYD?

This sounds very frustrating. Is he still having a lot of milk and not really hungry. I have to give ds10months his own spoon if im feeding him or he wont open his mouth.

Ok so I meant to put about milk in my OP.

he still has 3 bottles of 6oz. One at 7.30 when he wakes which he is always ravenous for, one at about 2pm when he has his nap, and then one at 6.30pm before bed.

I've got a feeling we need to cut down, but I don't know how...

Cut the bottles down by an Oz, day time one first, then morning one too, then bedtime one.
Then try to introduce sippy cup instead, so day time bottle first, then morning one too, then bedtime one.

Give finger foods on high chair tray instead of "wet" food in a bowl. You can add "wet" foods again later, but it's much easier and less disheartening to pick bits of solid food up off the floor than a whole bowl of "wet" food.
Maybe find an alternative place for him to eat sometimes? Eg. A snack on the sofa in front of a cartoon or something.

Good luck

What about sharing your plate with him?? My DD would only eat off my plate to start with. Anything's worth a go. She now sits happily in her high chair and eats finger food only. Will only really eat with the tv on tho. I know it's not great but she's eating

Don’t clear up the floor immediately. You say you don’t react when he chucks stuff but cleaning it up is a reaction. So fun for him! Just leave it there and wipe it all up at the end.

Shared plate is a good idea.

If he is big and healthy you could try starving him out a bit. Would he understand if you told him he’s not getting any more if he keeps throwing it on the floor?

My DS was having the same amount of milk at that age and one day I just decided to cut the middle bottle out completely. He didn’t even notice I don’t think. I replaced it with a little snack and he’s always really hungry then for tea time.