Baby / Toddler meal time HELL!

[Poppychick]

I know this has been asked before but please please suggest.

My DS is 14mths old and meal times are such a nightmare. He refuses food turning away and knocking it out of our hands then turns to total meltdown.

Tried all the attention stuff - praise good behaviour, ignore bad. We take his tea away from him but then ends up starving hungry and screaming again. He will snack all day on good stuff but isn't interested in proper food.

He won't even do it himself most of the time. Just managed to get some fish fingers, waffle and peas down him plus a yoghurt with a spoon by himself then a fairy cake. This is EXTREMELY rare and only because he was sooooo hungry before.

How do I handle this please bearing in mind I also have a DD (3) who could be prone to tantruming alongside him ..

HELP

Don't let him snack...meal times become irrelevant.
At first give him the snack food you know he will eat at the table at a mealtime, then slowly introduce real meals and reduce the snack stuff.

Make sure food is only available at a certain time (approx) in a certain place.

They won't starve themselves and they'll soon work out where the food is.

But you have to be firm.
And don't let friends give them snacks or treats, undermines the whole thing.

And don't do puddings then they have to eat savoury.

Thanks for that, what you say makes sense. I find it hard not to get stressed about this but will count to 10.

If he refuses the food do I just take it away or persevere?