Why doesn't my 21MO appreciate my cooking? (Lighthearted!!)

[upsiedaisy49593]

Obviously the title of my post should be taken in jest - but my god I feel shellshocked after today. In need of a handhold. My 21MO is turning into a gremlin. Part of me wants to laugh, part of me wants to cry!!!

I have spent today facing a tantrum about EVERY little thing. Filled the day with activities and everything has been an uphill struggle - whinging, crying etc. She had a good solid nap in the middle of the day so it can't be tiredness.

We were baking cupcakes in the afternoon and she spent the whole time doing this whingy-cry, even whilst stirring the mixture. I've spent so much of my energy today trying to keep enthusiastic and smiling. We are weaning her from her dummy at the moment so I think that's part of it.

The final straw came after giving her her dinner which took me quite a while to prep. She took one look at it, shouted 'ALL DONE' and proceeded to fling it off her tray. Wasted effort. After failed persuasion I ended up just making her simple beans on toast which she scoffed down.

I feel like I'm an idiot for spending so much time prepping these meals for her. I see all these lovely recipes on Instagram and want to try making them for her.

Maybe I should be simplifying things?
Anyone else being terrorised by their toddler and want to offload?

I feel your pain. Prepared my 2.5 year olds dinner who promptly told me ‘eww rice yuck blah… done’ 🤨 then asked for Cheerios and milk and I gave in (she’s been unwell so wanted her to eat something), served it to her and she said ‘NO YUCK’ and then had a tantrum about how I gave her a blue bowl instead of a green bowl… 🙄

Toddlers are hard work 😅

Urgh toddler feeding is one of the circles of hell.

Have you tried feeding her when you eat and just giving her some of what you're having? Cuts the meal prep wayyy down and the family togetherness thing was the only way ours would actually eat.

I feel you. My toddler doesn’t often eat much dinner but always has loads for breakfast and is a bit of a snacker in the day so I just figured that’s his rhythm. Then last night I gave him vegetable fingers and waffles and he scoffed the lot then asked for more. And of course right then I remembered that when he used to do the evening session at nursery he’d always eat all his dinner (they provided it and it was normally simple like quorn gujons and chips). So apparently he just doesn’t like my cooking and would rather eat freezer food 🙄.

It's a bloody nightmare! Don't get me wrong there are occasions where I'll break out the freezer fish fingers, but I do kind of researching these recipes and they look really beautifully presented a lot of the time so I like to have a go.

@MolliciousIntent yes to be fair we do a lot of family evening meals together - she eats a lot better during these, I won't lie. There are occasions though that the circumstances mean that I have to feed her on her own but I guess the change in routine may possibly be the reason she decided last night to fling her plate 😂