15 month old and wont eat!!!!!!! need help please!!!!!

[sambrads]

hi everyone i really need your help my son has completly gone off his food!!!

my son used to eat everything and anything ( except for potatoes) and now he wont eat anything but a load of rubbish ie crisps and choc that i just refuse to give him!!!

really dont no whats happened but i hope someone can help!!

Is it teeth?.illness?
If I rule those things out, I then get tough (I have an 18 month old ds) - Food at breakfast no later than 8 - absolutely no snacks and then lunch early if necessary 11.30 onwards. If he's really not ill and is hungry - he will eat and I find even the smallest snack will put him off his food at fussy times. If he still doesn't eat then clearly he doesn't want it and I get him down. Does he eat in a high chair? If we've had a really bad day and he won't eat I sometimes get him down and leave a piece of toast on the step of his highchair so he's not hungry for bed and he'll run around and keep coming back and pick the pieces up. This doesn't happen often though and it's a last resort for me. They're clever little things at this age. We frequently get one look at the plate - I'm told it's "hot" before it's tried - he'll pick up the plate and ask for a yoghurt. I put it back, say "no yoghurt" and leave the plate on there and ignore whilst I potter round the kitchen. He'll then often have another go...when he realises I won't give up. I never try to give him a spoonful as he won't let me but he'll often try again himself. No point in forcing it on him, but don't give up at the first attempt. It's so hard isn't it. I find too that for a few days he'll eat and a few days he eats like a sparrow. Apparently this is ok and often happens. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

hi ya thanks so much for the advice!!!
i feel like no matter what i suggest he does not want it!
he has been teething a bit so maybe thats whats wrong .
breakdfast is no problem at all he is always hungry in the morning but thats it !!
i dont allow him much much rubbish but my mum tries to feed him full of chocolate which of course he loves she says that if thats all he is going to eat then at least you can get something in him !!!
i dont agree at all as i dont want him getting used to it!!!!
he does sit in a high chair and i normally potter round the kitchen and let him get on with things .
when did your ds start using a knife and fork?

is he a snacker rather than a 3 meals a day kind of baby?

sometimes, he may want to graze a bit ... 6 small meals rather than 3 big meals IYSWIM

what does he eat for breakfast?

TBH, lots of babies/young children like the same thing each day

ds did this at about the same age, he was a dream to feed, was feeling very smug then WHAM. He pretty much survived on rice cakes and raisins for about 6 months, no joke. Keep introducing stuff and eventually he will eat it. I was worried sick... and although I hate the word, it was a phase. Good luck.

hi ya all he will have a bootle of milk and two yogharts and some fruit as he is not too keen on cereal !!

the only thing he will eat is peas if i cook them off he will sit wit a bowl and eat them with his hands . he loves eating with his hands so i find it so hard spoon feeding him.

i have not tried rice cakes but he does like raisons
i would give him some quavers or carrot stick crisps as he loves them but not chocolate.

i was talking to a women at my doc while waiting and she said her dd was a health freak sat wit brocoli and carrots and cauliflower and ate it no problem!!! i was shocked as my son hates it .
when i was preg i had visions of blendin everything but when he does not like potatoes then its impossible!!
has anyone the same problem?

you say that you potter whilst he's eating, ime with both dds this hindered their eating. they both ate better when we were sat together even if i was only having a slice of toast and a cuppa.

maybe i should just leave him in the kitchen to eat????

you worry so much that there getting enough

My ds went throug h this at about this age and now she is my best eater, and will try anything and everything hot spicy, yucky looking etc. Looking back she filled herself up on milk. It was really stressful at the time, but they really do eat a lot less at this age thatn when they are 10 months or so. Remember that they have to try things loads of times before they will eat it . What I always do is put something on their plate that they WILL eat alongside something they wont - one day they will eat it. I'll never foget the day my DD asked for more carrots after never touching them before.

thanks so much clareyooo thats brill to hear that other people have the same problem as me and has come through it with flying colours!!! do you remember when you dd started to use a knife and fork??

My dd1 was about 4, my DS is 3 and a half and although he can use a knife and fork he is lazy. I don't think it is a major deal at this age anyway - they wil learn and once they are older you can start on star charts etc( your DS is too young for that tet unless super bright!). Well done for keeping off the sweetes an crisps - it is too easy to fall into that trap - there is enough junk food out there for later in life! Also always sticka a potato on his plate even if he never eats it - you never know he might just try it and menus are so restrictive without potatoes - doing this 'normalises' it. its all about stealth - he is way too young to starve himself on purpose

do you think he also doesn't liek being spoon fed? 15 months seems old to be spoon fed, have you thought about giving him more healthy food he can eat himself. it'll take a while until he's proficient with a knife and fork, probably. also, i agree that eating together makes a difference.

thanks so much i will take this all on board!!!!

i was on baby center web site and they said he should be using a knife fork and spoon at 15 months but i thought it was way to young as well !!!!

maybe i should just cook all sorts of veg off and see what he will eat???

what healthy foods do you suggest AITCH???

funny you should ask, sambrad...
try here for recipes and suggestions