I have an 18 month old picky eater. We normally eat at the table as a family as much as possible or if it’s too early for me to eat, I’ll normally have a small plate with a couple of the same bits in front of me that I’ll nibble. However, he’s started to really protest the high chair. I’ve taken the tray off and put him up to table which helped for a bit and I’ve started doing more family style meals so that he can self serve more but it only results in food getting flung around and not eaten but he’s at least calm and engaged.
But if I let him eat sat on my lap on the sofa with the TV on or let him wander around and play whilst eating, he eats so much more. Is this really a bad thing to do if it means we’re all less stressed and he’s actually eating something? He still stops when he’s full and won’t finish the whole plate so I don’t think he’s completely mindlessly eating. I feel like he just can’t be bothered to eat and gets bored trapped in a high chair, he’s a very busy boy 😂
If I were to go with the flow, I’d just let him do his thing for a couple of meals a day but still make sure we’re having dinner together when we can, but I know it’s the “wrong” thing to do so I feel guilty when I allow it. Anyone else?