Fussy FUSSY 18 month old - have been struggling for ages

[GodzillasBumcheek]

Ok, after struggling (what seemed like silent reflux) to get DD to accept the bottle at all, and getting easily to the lumpy food stage, now we seem to have hit a brick...er...monument.

She can't feed herself yet but will not let anyone else feed her. She doesn't eat fingerfoods without getting what can only be described as 'bored' after a very small amount.

She accepts about 4 fluid oz (supposed to be having 12 a day in whatever form, at her age, isn't she?) in a bottle before breakfast (tried beaker for a few weeks and failed miserably as she refused it time and time again), and another few oz on her cereals.

She refuses water, juice, and milk at any other time of the day, unless it is from a glass/cup or beaker which she hasn't gotten used to. Any time we think she has settled with a particular type of beaker, she starts to refuse it.

Sorry this is so long but i am at my wits end with this kid! she is so lovely when i'm not having to try to get her to eat or drink!

bum.p

bump again

NOt much advice (mine go the other way tbh, and hassle me constantly for food) but didn't want it going unanswered!

I think if I were in your situation I would just put food in front of her and let her get on with it.

A selection of finger foods and food from your plate maybe? And let her pick at what she wants.

DD2 has refused to be fed with a spoon from about 8m. She would eat a meal with her hands instead, before learning to use a spoon.

I would think the main thing is to not stress about it in front of her? Sorry, not much experience with this! Am sure many others have, though. Good luck

Thanks for answering! Thought i was being ignored
We've tried (quite a few times) trying putting the food in front of her, and she seems to get overwhelmed with it, and the lot ends up crushed into the highchair tray and on the floor! she whacks it around and doesn't eat it.
She does eat fairly well if she has a small amount of fingerfood and food from my plate - but protein and calcium are still problem areas!

I wouldn't worry too much about the playing around with it... just keep passing her stuff from your plate (make extra portions!)

What food stuff does she like?

Have you tried macaroni cheese, as finger food? my 19mo DD can't get enough of it, and it has calcium and protein!!

No, really NNB...she just gets so over-excited and swipes it onto the floor! Putting moreon her tray just gets more on the floor!

Macaroni cheese would be fab if she would eat cheese, HCTG! That's the problem...she hates cheese. Yoghurt she is okay with, however, but the amount she would have to eat of wholemilk yoghurts is quite expensive, and the sugar factor isn't too enticing either! Thanks for trying though.

i think this may be a lost cause, and i am destined to battle over meals forever and ever [sigh]

I think as long as she gets a bit from each food group that's ok, isn't it?

So, bottle of milk and milk on cereal... calcium and carbs

Full-fat yogurt... more calcium and fat

Does she eat fruit and veg?

Meat?

My DD will also swipe any finger food down onto the floor unless only one or two tiny pieces are put down. Even if she is eating a piece and you hand one more to her she will squash that bit and throw it away!!

Lol...yes, that sounds familiar! I guess she just needs to grow out of it then. Hope springs eternal and all that!

She eats veggies fine...not so good meat, but i forgot about milk/yoghurts having protein in them

Reckon i should just let her eat how much she likes and have done then?

Sounds good to me

FWIW, I knew 2 MEGA fussy toddlers who ate sod-all... was a wonder they grew, tbh!

Have grown to be ravenous children