14 months and we seem to be going backwards!!

[didsnbump]

Hi my DS is nearly 14 months, and we have gone from eating everything really well, and being able to eat spoon fed meals that some hant even been mashed, to refusing some meals altogether as if they are to much hard work.
Some days he seems to eat fine, others its horrible. ie: today he hardly ate any of his cheese on toast which he normally loves. As for my sausage casserole at tea time, 6 small spoons full and thats it! refused anymore.

Whats going on with others, please tell me this is the norm??

My DD is 13 months and I feel like we're going backwards, too. She's gotten fussy and refusing lots of things. This after having been SUCH a good eater. Ugh. Commiseration didsnbump!

I read somewhere (Dr Spock maybe?) that at this age they are less hungry because they are growing less. Also, they're more willfull and more dextrous about being able to chuck things away. That's a recipe for mealtime issssues.

I'm trying to stay relaxed about it. Easier said than done! I just want her to eat! In truth, I've been frustrated, and so has she. I just wonder when and how to 'lay down the law' about eating what's in front of her and not having mummy fetch a gazillion things for her to try in the hopes that something goes down.

we are having the same problem over here. Although, there has been a breakthrough for the last couple of days. By the way, 6 spoons would be a good day for us, .

bump

I think this is a fairly common problem. I remember my dd started to get fussy at this age. I will say one thing, never give in! Just stick to the one meal you have made him and don't offer alternatives. If he refuses it, put it aside so if he whines he is hungry, offer it again.

Also, i know it's hard but try not to get wound up, or at least try not to let him know you are wound up. I suspect he is doing it for a reaction, even if it's bad reaction. If you make it look like you couldn't care less, he may just get bored and give up?

I know how frustrating it is though. My dd seems to go through fazes of being fussy and not eating.

Do they feed themselves? Try and stay chilled out about it all.

One thing dh and I noticed we tend to do is "ooh dd loved x"and then give it to the poor thing over and over, and then funnily enough she turns it down - maybe that was what happened with the cheese on toast? Usually we then leave it a few weeks and she's then quite excited when it reappears. Also she's erratic, when she had a cold a few weeks ago she only ate 2 bananas and a couple of slices of bread in 3 days... then spent the next 5 days running over to her high chair every couple of hours and demanding a big meal - to a lesser extent she does this quite often - one night she wants to play with her truck and basically won't eat dinner, but then makes up for it with an enormous breakfast etc (and when I say enormous, dh and I sit and look in awe as an 18 moonth old puts away more than either of us could)

Agree on don't react with anything other then mild interest if they eat/don't eat so they aren't playing for a reaction (and tbh I find this easier if I haven't cooked something "special" and invested that time, but instead give something like cucumber and humus, etc which is healthy but only takes seconds. Dh who generally does dinner says some evenings if he sits with her, she just messes and plays to get a rise out of him, so he takes his cup of tea and goes over to the window, and watches her suddenly tuck in via her reflection when she thinks noone is watching! Dunno how that will work in summer tho!

Thanks all for the supporting messages, its nice to know this seems to be a phase at this age.
No Mrsjamin my DS isnt feeding himself with a spoon yet, but when we give finger food he sometimes wont eat much of this either.

He ate quite abit of soup at lunch from a spoon and lots of bread. But then at tea he dint eat much at all of his spag bol! I dint and dont offer anything else as im feeding him things i know he likes so think if he was hungry enough he would eat more. He dont seem to be hungry after either so!

I just miss the little lad that used to scoff anything and everything and feel that what ever i give him be it finger food style meals or spoon fed its becoming a waste of my time if you know what i mean!!!

I hear you, didsnbump. Tricky business. Trying to stay relaxed is hard sometimes!

Well we are staying relaxed in front of him, as deep down im hoping its down to teething as he only has 8 teeth so far and hant had any through since december and he is dribbling for britain!!!

I know that it is really hard - and that you take it all to heart and that it makes you feel like a bad parent when they don't eat - but if you start to make an issue out of it now, it will continue. I have four children and even though they have all been brought up exactly the same their eating habits are across the scale. My first born would and does eat everything. My second was a great eater until he was really ill at about 12 months and then he stopped eating completely. My third was a good eater - and now aged 7 gives me the worst guilt bound problems of them all. My fourth is a bit of a fruit and vegetable dustbin and her joy of food is what keeps me sane!
Hang in there with your little one. Go back to basics and don't get too caught up in the 'rules' that you read about in magazines and books.
Try things like Petits Filous yoghurts and finger fruit. As long as what he is eating is healthy he will continue to grow and strive.
Most of all - don't beat yourself up about it. It is more of an issue to you than it is to him.

Has he just become more mobile? I have read that one of the reasons toddlers become more fussy is evolutionary. When they became more mobile they were more at risk of eating something poisonous, so they became more suspicious of food. How true it is I don't know but DD has done exactly the same thing. She's a bit better now at 19 months but then she barely ate anything. Molars are always something to look out for too, the pain put DD completely off food.

Sometimes it works to be a bit more adventurous in the cooking. Spicing things can have a positive effect as well. The other night we made risotto with a korma sauce and DD loved it. (She ate like 3 spoons, but that's good for our standards)

didsnbump my 16month old ds is exactly the same as yours. I can;t explain his behaviour.... it all seems just so erratic. One day he'll eat ok the next 3 days he's a complete nightmare. The last few days he has eaten weetabix at 8am... refuses to eat anything for the rest of the day and has a bottle at night before bed.... I am so worried abt him.

I'm hoping its a phase as some have suggested here.

Hi all,

Ive just had a weekend away living DH and DS home alone together so left him with 8 month jars to have for one meal and the option of a jar or finger food for the other (breakfast is never an issue). He ate fine all weekend according to DH, on my return yesterday he had home made cottage pie for tea, which went down fine.

Today though a different ball game, cheese sandwich for lunch, hardly ate any, and then sausage with veg and mash in little balls for tea which again he wasnt really interested in!!!

Why is it so hit and miss, am starting to think he dont like my home cooking and would prefer to eat baby food forever!

Ladies I'm so happy to find this thread! My DD is 13 mo and has never been a great eater. She just won't eat at the moment. She's had a cold and food is the first thing to get ditched when she's not 100%. She's eating so little that I'm rejoicing in a couple of rice crispies going into her mouth at breakfast!

I'm pretty much doing what you've all been suggesting ... staying calm (!!??), offering one choice at each meal and meals and snacks in her normal schedule. Thank you for the reassurance!

I must confesss, I can't always stay calm. It destroys my confidence on my cooking skills everytime she refuses something.

I'm back, with some much needed retrospect. DD, who I was worried about above, has suddenly and fantastically started eating again with her usual gusto. What a relief! I look at her now, and I can see that she had previously been 1) sick/getting-sick/recovering, and 2) teething. So now she is eating well again.

Man, it really is crappy, though, when they don't eat. She was not eating well for about a month, and my confidence went way low. (Questioning my cooking and whether or not I should discipline her or be more strict.) Got a good piece of advice from a friend while I was in the throws of a food-throwing-fussy-baby-time: if there's one that the LO likes, let her have it. DD had only bananas for 2 days straight. I remained calm and didn't keep offering her other stuff. She ate them, finito.

So, advice to myself: really, don't get flustered. This not-eating-thing is either a phase or a sign that they aren't into food for the time-being. I have to remind myself this the next time she's off food! We'll see if I remember, and stop myself from banging my head against the wall when she's not looking!

(Really recommend the Banana and Date Flapjacks in the Toddler Section of the Recipes... she took to these in the fussy phase.)

Oh thank the Lord for this thread. DS2 is 14 months. blw does not work. Every item of food is thrown on the floor after being squashed in disgust. I can feed him from a spoon but he is only mildly interested in doing it himself.

I am worrying myself silly because DS1 was a dream eater.

I suppose I just need to persevere and eventually the phase will end.