Author Topic: I hate meal times !!  (Read 5818 times)

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Offline Colin Macs Mom

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Re: I hate meal times !!
« Reply #15 on: April 17, 2009, 15:58:31 pm »
So maybe she doesn't want to stop doing stuff to eat?
Jessica
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Offline charmie

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Re: I hate meal times !!
« Reply #16 on: April 17, 2009, 16:49:31 pm »
No, she is quite happy to go into her high chair.  She actually walks to the high chair by herself and waits for me to pick her up and strap her in. 

This evening I made fish fingers for her again.  She didn't eat them last Tuesday, but today she ate all of it.  And without any problems at all.  It was the first pleasant meal in a while actually.

I have been thinking and I noticed that her behaviour in general has become more challenging and difficult.  However she does this only with me.  We were at some friends last weekend and they kept saying how well behaved she is and how well she eats.  And on Tuesday she was at my friend's for about 5 hours and my friend said she was absolutely lovely.  Do I have a right to be  ??? ??? ???


xxx
charm






Offline anna*

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Re: I hate meal times !!
« Reply #17 on: April 17, 2009, 18:40:12 pm »
I've just posted on the couch today about how Stan can be absolutely rotten with me but delightful with everyone else. I think they just feel safest with mummy - and so they use us to test how difficult they can get away with being.





Offline Colin Macs Mom

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Re: I hate meal times !!
« Reply #18 on: April 17, 2009, 20:39:08 pm »
Quote from: charmie
I have been thinking and I noticed that her behaviour in general has become more challenging and difficult.  However she does this only with me.  We were at some friends last weekend and they kept saying how well behaved she is and how well she eats.  And on Tuesday she was at my friend's for about 5 hours and my friend said she was absolutely lovely.  Do I have a right to be  ??? ??? ???

This is probably not what you want to hear Charm, but this is TOTALLY normal for her age. TOTALLY. It's not a lot of fun but it's just something they have to do. The bigger deal you make of things or the stronger you react will only feed the fire so be as patient and calm as you can. :-*
Jessica
Mom to Colin Ronald, August 18, 2005
Spirited + Reflux =  :o


Offline charmie

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Re: I hate meal times !!
« Reply #19 on: April 18, 2009, 19:53:35 pm »
Oh I'm glad it's normal.  I just want to learn how to handle it properly.  I'm finding it hard to balance between not making a big deal and setting boundaries.  Cause that's what I'm supposed to be doing right?...setting boundaries?

BTW she refused berries again this morning.  But DH and I were having cereal so I thought it was kind of unfair to expect her to eat berries.  She wants to eat like us...when it suits her  :P.  And she had a mushroom risotto for lunch plus many bites of my pizza (we were out).  I think I will try to give berries at a different time from now on.  Maybe as a snack.


xxx
charm






Offline Colin Macs Mom

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Re: I hate meal times !!
« Reply #20 on: April 18, 2009, 19:57:44 pm »
It worked for us to just stick by the plan - meaning that mealtime was mealtime and I wasn't going to make a bunch of different meals for everyone. If he ate, great, if not, there would be a snack later. He figured out pretty quick that we weren't bending on that.
Jessica
Mom to Colin Ronald, August 18, 2005
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Offline clazzat

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Re: I hate meal times !!
« Reply #21 on: April 18, 2009, 20:07:55 pm »
(((hugs))) Charm.  I know how frustrating it is when they won't eat - loaded with emotion, and so annoying because you have normally spent ages preparing something.  Milena was a brilliant eater until about the same age as your lo and has got pickier and pickier ever since.  Some survival tips:

Work out the foods that she will always (or nearly always) eat, and offer those often (assuming that chocolate and crisps aren't the only things!).  Keep offering foods that she is reluctant to eat, but no more than once every couple of days.  It's easier to shrug and take a meal away untouched if it follows 2 or 3 reasonable meals.
Don't offer alternatives - decide what lunch/dinner is and give her that.  If she doesn't eat it, don't make her something else as this leads to her refusing more and more to see what she can get. 
Let her choose between 2 things some of the time so that she has more control over what she is eating.
Give her smaller portions - they are often daunted by being given loads of food.  She can always ask for more if she is hungry.
Don't go to a huge amount of trouble cooking elaborate food.  If she's not going to eat it, you will feel much worse if you have slaved over it, and then it becomes a much bigger issue.

Remember they can't starve themselves - it's not physically possible - so even if it seems that she is not eating anything she will be getting enough.  Another thing to bear in mind (although this has a little bit more to do with behaviour than necessarily eating) is that they have small stomachs and find it difficult to eat enough at a meal to last them to the next meal.  It is better to plan snacks in the day - you're less likely to get difficult cranky behaviour resulting from low blood sugar.  If you can avoid the cranky behaviour in general, things like mealtimes become less of a battleground.

Finally - it will pass!  M is still really fussy, but she has gone past the stage of really not eating at all.
Cx

Offline charmie

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Re: I hate meal times !!
« Reply #22 on: April 18, 2009, 20:13:51 pm »
Quote (selected)
It is better to plan snacks in the day - you're less likely to get difficult cranky behaviour resulting from low blood sugar.

I was actually thinking about this today.  I noticed she is much more agreeable after her meals, and very cranky before meals.  Will definitely keep this and all the other tips in mind  :-* :-*


xxx
charm






Offline charmie

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Re: I hate meal times !!
« Reply #23 on: April 20, 2009, 18:55:55 pm »
I'm back to report some improvement.  Might be early days, and for all I know she might go back to being picky tomorrow but for the past couple of days she did well.  I am giving her cereal in the morning, and berries as a snack either in the morning or after the nap.  She is much better behaved with the extra snacks.  Hopefully we're getting back on track.

Thank you for supporting me on this one  :-* :-* :-*


xxx
charm






Offline Colin Macs Mom

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Re: I hate meal times !!
« Reply #24 on: April 20, 2009, 19:38:48 pm »
GREAT!!!! ;D
Jessica
Mom to Colin Ronald, August 18, 2005
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Offline clazzat

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Re: I hate meal times !!
« Reply #25 on: April 21, 2009, 05:34:50 am »
Glad to hear it.   ;D

Offline SAmum

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Re: I hate meal times !!
« Reply #26 on: April 23, 2009, 04:46:54 am »
Hi...i can SO relate to this !!!  My baby is almost a toddler and he's been throwing food on the floor, throwing ME with the food...i get so upset as he won't eat ANYTHING sometimes!  He used to be a good eater. All that is left for me to do is just not worry bout it - but i'm a MOM for crying out loud! OI..i hate mealtimes!

Offline charmie

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Re: I hate meal times !!
« Reply #27 on: April 23, 2009, 09:41:06 am »
Can you introduce new things to replace the ones he's not eating anymore?


xxx
charm






Offline charmie

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Re: I hate meal times !!
« Reply #28 on: April 28, 2009, 20:18:21 pm »
Hello everyone  ;D

just wanted to give you an update and say thank you again.

K is almost back to her normal self.  I think you ladies were right in linking it with teething.  Her canines are almost through.

I also tried the technique mentioned by Anna and it does work.



xxx
charm






Offline corimorgan

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Re: I hate meal times !!
« Reply #29 on: May 03, 2009, 02:24:21 am »
Hello ladies, I hope your situations are getting better. I just read this entire post and am amazed that I am going through this already.... my LO is only 11 months! She is eating food but only a couple of bites of something and then she starts throwing it on the floor. I can't stand when the food starts going on the floor!!! I go nuts! My dog is the only one who likes that little move.

So I end up parading a myriad of different foods out to see what she will eat this time. I usually give in and start feeding her fruit. DH doesn't think there is anything wrong with that, but I don't like her having all of that sugar at every meal. She will only eat stuff that she can feed herself. I cannot feed her with a spoon anymore and she is too little to work the spoon herself. So no more yogurt or even applesauce, which she used to love!

I really appreciated reading the post about not getting too upset with them. I am guilty of getting way too worked up about this! My lo used to bang into the back of the highchair while she was eating. She would bang so hard that the highchair would move. I would get so upset with her. I would hold her down while she would eat and try to show her to sit still. This technique never worked! I then started ignoring her. She would bang and I would turn my head and look the other way. She eventually stopped doing it.... (for now at least). So I know my relaxing and not getting so worked up about that worked, maybe the same lesson will help us with this problem. It's so hard to not get upset though with food all over the floor.

Why the food on the floor?!?!? My LO is doing baby signs and she knows the "all done" sign. Why can't see just do that?!?!?

Good luck all, your not alone!