Screen time mini monster

[Mur87]

My almost 2yr old up until about 4 months ago would have ate any dinner set down in front of her. According to crèche she still does, but at home, has become a nightmare and just will not eat anything we set down.
worse still we’ve found we’ve become reliant on Peppa Pig to provide encouragement.
Yes, I’ve created a fuss-pot-peppa-pig-mini-beast, but I really am in need of some helps and tips on how to change this around.

My advice would be to ditch the screen immediately - it will be impossible to come back from. Sit and eat together so she sees eating as a social activity and watches you eat. Just serve, sit, eat, chat. Don't say anything about her eating and she'll soon pick up on the social cues of getting on with it. That'll be why she's eating at nursery, along with the others so it's expected. Good luck!

I agree with that.

I think it’s all made worse by the fact that she’s become an extremely fussy eater and anything she once liked (i.e anything that was set in front of her) she now won’t touch

What does she eat at crèche? Have you tried not doing her a plate of food but putting some things on plates on the table, you and her dad help yourselves and then see if she’s interested in anything? Does she have any safe or reliable foods? Are you concerned about her weight? If not I’d try and take the stress and emotion out of it all. And take the screens away.

Meal times are for spending time together, her watching you enjoy your food, trying new things, practising with cutlery, chatting and listening to each other.

Ditch the screen immediately. Sit with her, put a choice of foods out and ask her to chose what she wants. Chose yourself a plate. Talk to her and don’t make a thing about the food / eating. Obv this is assuming she’s a healthy weight. She does it at nursery as she’s copying others.

Yep, cold turkey!

Agree with the others about not making a thing of it. No pleading / bribery etc. Act as if you don't care if she eats anything or not. It's a power thing at that age.

Stop playing Peppa Pig.

Sit down and eat with her. Provide her with a small, not too overwhelming, plate of the same thing and she either eats it or she doesn't. Either is fine, it really doesn't matter. If she hasn't yet started when you're finished the she clearly doesn't want it, so clear it away and go about your lives.

I've been a nanny for 15 years and I've seen SO MANY families who are still bribing/threatening/distracting/spoon feeding/giving in to their healthy (or even overweight!) children because they've turned every mealtime into a huge battle. Just bloody CHILL!!!

It's quite normal to be fussy about food at 2.

IME, either ditch the guilt and accept the screen - it's not the end of the world.

Or ditch the fear about her not eating, she won't starve herself (yes I know about children with ARFID but this child is not in that situation) and take the screen away and don't worry about it. She will eat if she is hungry, if she does not, then she probably wasn't! If there is a pattern of her not eating dinner, try feeding her a bit earlier, she might be too tired.

I think my kids ate a lot of pasta and some basic veg at that age. Just offer up basic stuff that’s healthy and keep offering it and no alternatives. No pudding if they don’t eat enough main.

if they won’t eat anything then just offer a bit of plain toast at bedtime or weetabix.

Thanks for all the tips & advice - I’ve never used this forum before.
feeling totally overwhelmed in this next stage and feel like I just want to do what’s ‘right’

Does it help to know there really isn’t a right way? Honestly, we’re all making it up as we go along, promise! 😊

I like Janet Lansbury on this stage, she’s got a very easy to read book and a Facebook group, possibly also on Instagram which I don’t use.

If you can avoid turning food and sleep into battles where someone wins and someone loses life is easier. Not always easy, I know. It sounds like you want to start trusting your daughter, to eat when she’s hungry, to eat things that are nutritious and enjoyable for her. It’ll be trial and error in finding a new approach and you and she will both adapt over time, nothing is constant with toddlers.

Try offering things you know she’ll eat at crèche. Get her involved in the kitchen. Try and take all the emotions out of it and make food just something that happens. Keep posting for advice if you want to.

Sorry you're having to deal with this. It is frustrating and I can see why you've ended up distracting her.

Thing is, using Peppa is not going to change unless you remove it as an option, her fussy eating may change if you implement some changes such as eating together, chatting at mealtimes and perhaps ensuring she has something on her plate that she will eat - around other things. I think you do probably need to be prepared for a few tricky mealtimes and you'll need to work to keep your cool but that might be less stressful than her being in front of a screen.

Happy to say we’ve had 2 successful evening dinner times without the pink little piggy!! Cold turkey!!

Yay, good for you! Stay strong!