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How to help toddler to eat?

3 replies

Brandysnapzzz · 19/02/2021 13:29

Hello, I can’t find info via google on this so thought I’d start a thread.

I have a 14 month old who is stubborn as a bloody mule! He really really wants to feed himself, using cutlery. Finger foods won’t cut it any longer - he needs a fork and spoon, or preferably a fork and knife like his parents. Obviously he’s too small to have any real ability to use cutlery to eat his food, but he refuses to have anything fed to him and will only sporadically pick bits up with his fingers. This means he’s eating…well, not very much. Initially I thought he’d gone fussy and neophobic with food, but it turns out he will eat most things as long as he can spoon them into his own mouth 🙈 I should add that this is with main course mostly - when he has fruit or snacks he’s quite happy to pick them up, but he has to have his main course on a plate with a knife and fork. It is a combination of funny and frustrating for all of us Grin

How can I best help him to eat when he’s trying so hard and refusing almost all assistance? And does anyone have any tips about cutlery and crockery that will help him? I have some little spoons and forks he manages with but all of our sticky/sucker bowls have stopped suctioning…

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
hodgepodge21 · 19/02/2021 14:40

My son is the same - and it started around the same age. I kind of left him to it to be honest, I'd cut everything up and make sure the food I gave was easy to stab with a fork. Chopped up everything into little squares! He did go through a phase of not eating much but he quickly got better with the cutlery with all the practice. He is 18 months now and always uses cutlery. I have the MAM cutlery set as it is really small and easy to use!

Brandysnapzzz · 19/02/2021 14:53

Thanks @hodgepodge21

Aren't they funny? So many books etc give the impression that children are feral creatures that need to be "civilised" (not my way of thinking btw!) and then our very-recently babies are sitting at the table refusing to eat unless it's with the Dresden and silverware 😂

Anyway I will take a leaf out of your book and also look for some better baby cutlery for him.

OP posts:
Potterythrowdown · 19/02/2021 16:27

Just leave him to it. We found metal cutlery worked best - we have a couple of sets from Aldi's magical middle aisle that DS likes and he uses a teaspoon for things like cereal.

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