What is force feeding?

[Skeletor99]

I ask in the context that my mother is a nursery nurse and has been suspended on the accusation by a colleague that she "force fed" an 18 month old child.

Personally I think it's BS appropriated by a jealous co worker, but I'd like to have some opinions as to what people think force feeding is?
Is force feeding "encouraging" children to eat? When a toddler says "no" does this always mean "no"?
Opinions?

I would imagine that it means taking the spoon and physically forcing the food into the child's mouth, despite the child's protests.

Either that or threatening a child who is refusing to eat - but that sounds less likely.

if a toddler said no to food, i would leave them for a minute or two and then offer again

if they said no again, then i would assume they didn't want to eat

force feeding and encouraging are 2 separate things

i think children are generally good at regulating their appetites and if they are offered food and decline it then there is a reason IMO

hmm

assuming the adult has the spoon, then imo if they willingly open their mouth then that is 'encouragement'

if you have to distract them and sneak the spoon in you are past encouraging and into forcing.

with an 18 months you can tell if they dont want to eat, sometimes children in that age only want to feed themselves so then if someone stuffs the food directly into their mouth against their will that is obviously force feeding, whether done by a spoon or with their hand.
imo if the toddler says no, then yes it is a no. leave it til later or encourage but u dont just force it in their mouth thinking you "know best" as it will cause eating problems where they make all the meals into a battle and power struggle..
they wont starve if they refuse eating properly for 1 meal
if my child was at nursery and someone force fed him, or tried to feed him when he wants to feed himself then i would not be pleased with that at all tbh, so can understand y this has happened if she really did force feed a child