Author Topic: 13 month old refusing most finger foods - even favorites  (Read 1939 times)

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Offline Sam-n-Max's Mommy

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13 month old refusing most finger foods - even favorites
« on: April 30, 2011, 11:26:54 am »
Hello ladies,

DS was never a picky eater and then seemed to evolve into one over the past few months, which I know is normal for his age.  He has an issue with texture (ie he'll pick up fruits and veggies off of his tray but never put them in his mouth).  However, over the past few days it has gotten much worse. Breakfast has been okay - he'll eat a fruit puree and some french toast and scrambled egg (but not too much).  Lunch he'll eat yogurt, but won't touch any finger foods - even ones that he has eaten before.  He won't touch anything on his tray at snack time (unless they are Cheerios).  And dinner.  Dinner has turned into a complete disaster.  There is one veggie puree that he will eat at this point, which I give him every night.  He has been eating that, but where he used to eat things like meatball and chicken nuggets in addition to it, he won't.  He just whines and yells and won't touch these things.  Chicken nuggets especially have always been an absolute favorite.  Here is what I think he is doing -- he is waiting for a stick of cheese.  He LOVES cheese and I've always given it to him at the end of dinner, after he's eaten his puree and chicken etc.  Last night, he refused anything I put on his tray - I left it there for awhile - and only started eating once I gave him the cheese. 

So, I've been outsmarted by a 13 month old. :) What to do? Will this pass? Do I give him the cheese or am I teaching him that he doesn't have to eat the other things by giving the cheese when he won't eat everything else? Part of me feels like he is still too little for me to be doing that, but I am also very afraid of bad eating habits forming.  I am on the picky toddler board -- however, I am not sure if this specific situation is just about him being picky or about him being a stubborn toddler. :)  He is also teething molars, but never refused finger foods while teething the first two molars, so I'm not sure if that is playing into it.

I put too much pressure on myself about getting him to eat a variety of things so part of this is probably me, but I am really frustrated. :( Thanks for listening!
--Nicole
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Offline Mom to M&M

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Re: 13 month old refusing most finger foods - even favorites
« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2011, 16:24:11 pm »
What if you give him a small amount of the cheese WITH the rest of his meal and the rest after he's eaten some of the other items?
Karen: Proud Mama to Marisa (8-11-05) and Matthew (6-5-09) and happily married to my best friend and love of my life since 10-13-01

Offline lilybug25

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Re: 13 month old refusing most finger foods - even favorites
« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2011, 19:20:00 pm »
Hugs, my daughter went through something similar around that age, she also would only eat chesse and yogurt (also grapes). I still offered different foods at every meal(I also put a bit of cheese and a couple of chopped grapes on her plate). She also would still eat breakfast but suddenly that stopped too. I went out and bought V8 fruit fusion juice (it has vegg in it), put her back on formula and went with they flow (stressing right out the whole time mind you LOL). She was a try anything twice eater before that so I worried that she had become picky overnight, I finally figured out it was a food jag and came up with a idea. I gave it a couple of days then started putting chesse in everything: poatoes, chesse on toast, chesse sause of EVERY veggie out there, graded chesse on meats and guess what? She slowly started eating real food again! I slowly cut back on the chesse and now she is back to eating everything again. I believe eating should not be a power struggle and if you are stressed at meal times your child can feel that stress coming off you, try (and I know it's hard) to relax and a child will not starve themselfs they will eat if they are hungry, you just got to out smart them LOL
HTH
 


Offline Sam-n-Max's Mommy

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Re: 13 month old refusing most finger foods - even favorites
« Reply #3 on: May 02, 2011, 11:39:14 am »
Thanks, Karen and lilybug.

Karen - Unfortunately, if I do that, he will only eat the cheese and then scream at me until I give him more :(.  Although, we had a situation last night where he wouldn't even eat the cheese.  Ugh.

lilybug - I gave him grilled cheese at lunch time and he actually ate it so that was awesome! He is being really strange with his eating so hopefully it is just a phase.  I thought we were making progress yesterday because he ate really well at breakfast and lunch, but then dinner he flat out refused everything including cheese.  The night before DH was able to get him to eat his chicken by eating some off of his tray himself.  That same tactic didn't work yesterday :/. 

This stresses me out so much, but I agree that it can't become a power struggle.  And even though I don't try to force him or beg him to eat, etc, I am very sure that he can sense my frustration.  I think I may just need to stop myself before I put his dinner down each night and remind myself that it's ok and the phase will pass.

Thanks, ladies, for your support!
--Nicole
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Offline Truly Blessed

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Re: 13 month old refusing most finger foods - even favorites
« Reply #4 on: May 30, 2011, 18:14:59 pm »
Oh Hon,

We reeeeally are on the same page aren't we!!! I feel your pain. I am worried that with all the fruit Sam eats I'm encouraging a sweet tooth, and he is a very strong minded little man  ::). Sam is also teething molars, and I suspect it's related but  :-\.

Maybe it's just a Sam thing  ;).

(X)