14 month old - gone off food

[Bonney]

Help!! My 14 month old has gone off most of his food. I've eliminated most common problems (he's not teething, the food he won't eat is food he's had heaps of times b4). I'm guessing it's a power struggle. He only wants to eat on his own terms eg. away from his high chair while he is free to walk around and play with his toys. I know that I shouldn't let him do that but sometimes I would rather he eats on his own terms rather than not eat on my terms.
Any advice out there oh wise mothers??!!

From frustrated mum. :confused:

[tickle]

Hi there!
Sorry, I don't think I have too many words of wisdom, but I know my DS goes off his food a bit in the heat. And he also slowed down how much he was eating after 12 -13 months.
When they get to toddlerhood everything else is so much more interesting than eating. They are just such busy bees!!
I think I would be the same as you and just try and get him to eat something. I have been lucky and can usually get O to eat his meals in his highchair.

Good luck! ;)

[Bonney]

Thanks, I'm glad I'm not the only one who is having trouble at this stage. You get so used to having an easy going baby doing as he's told most of the time, then along comes a phase where they want to exercise a bit of their own decision making and it comes as a bit of a shock. I think I will just keep putting him in the high chair and try and 'loosen up' a bit. He'll eventually eat when he's hungry enough.

From Bonney. :p

[Chickadee]

Bonney, It's pretty common for appetite to slow down after kids pass 1 year old. You're right, he'll eat when he's hungry and won't starve himself. And he'll only eat till he's full, not a bite more, so no point trying to force him to eat.

At the same time, bubs are getting more and more independent. Finger foods, as non-messy as possible, are great. I did the same as you, and let DD wander or eat where she wanted and had a plastic picnic table for her to at at in the kitchen instead of a high chair most times. It wasn't exactly a great habit, and a year later I am still struggling with her occassionally wanting to eat in the lounge. But it saved me alot of stress. You can also use your son's independence to your advantage like having picnics outside, or we would even spread a picnic blanket on the lounge floor and eat there.

You might get some reassurance and ideas from this website from the Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto Canada: Appetite Slump in Toddlers (http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/Article.asp?articleID=1702).

[maybe1more]

Hi Bonney- im in the same boat except my son is 28 months old! He sits in his high chair when i give him food and he just looks at me and says "mummy me not want it" so i offer him something else and still he wont eat, by the end of meal time ive offered him up to 6 diffrent foods will still no result! The doctor told me i should be only offering him his dinner and not alternatives and if he does eat it not to worry :eek: but i cant do that, knowing he hasnt eaten. I tried him on the toddler milk but he refused that too. My dp told me to leave his food infront of him and ignore him, but that didnt work either, he loves ham and cheese sandwiches but i cant feed it to him for ever meal. The baby book says if they dont eat there food their not hungery but im not sure on that one :rolleyes:

[Peaceangels]

I hear ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DS1 did it around the 15mth mark and mainly went off eating dinner.

Prior to this he ate everything, now if I ask him what he wants for dinner every night he will say "chips" - and if I served it to him every night he would be wrapped (in his dreams!) :rolleyes:

I stopped afternoon snacks, tried so many different things, so now I stick to the boring 4-5 things he WILL eat every week.

Scary thing is DS2 has just started doing the same (he is 19mths).

The best advice I can give is to not push him to eat. Give him say 1/2 hour to eat, then take the plate away no matter how much has gone.

My kids get a cup of warm milk after dinner - if they have eaten it all (I'm such a mean mum, it's not a nice treat like ice cream or anything :D ).............