Author Topic: Sudden food tantrums (17 months old) - any advice?  (Read 948 times)

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Offline waveguide

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Sudden food tantrums (17 months old) - any advice?
« on: February 16, 2012, 02:29:59 am »

Our toddler used to eat (and still eats but with huge tantrums) anything we cook - risotto, pureed food, rice, fish, meat, chicken, greens - you name it.

She eats by herself, she is very good with her spoon (professional!)

This week however we do not manage to feed her at her table any longer!

Every morning, she is waking up VERY hungry, but she starts her mornings from crying loudly and throwing her oatmeal and water bottle at us!

We tried the following:
1)She would scream and struggle if we remove the food from her table (today we left her at the table for 20 min after she dropped her plate and water cup down).
2)She would scream when we return her back to her bed (30 min).
3)She would scream when we return her back to the table....
4)She would eventually start eating (after 90 min of battle) an finishes her breakfast till the end (she's hungry!)

All this happens every morning for a week already. She never stops crying till she eventually eats - after that she's the cutest baby in the world!


How to stop these tantrums?

how to prevent her from throwing plates, spoons and cups at us?

What should we do?

Thanks a lot for any advice. We just have no idea what are we doing wrong, so suddenly?!

Offline mum101

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Re: Sudden food tantrums (17 months old) - any advice?
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2012, 06:30:46 am »
Hi,

A couple of ideas...
She may be so hungry she gets herself worked up, Perhaps try feeding her more late in the day so she might not get so hungry in the morning. maybe add more protein and fat to fill her tummy.
She may be becoming unwell, sore throat, or sore tummy before bowel movements. Eating tends to encourage bowel movements.
She may be pushing her boundaries. Every kid will throw stuff off their table, the more attention given the longer it can last. 
She may dislike her high chair, and want the independence to eat at her own table.  If that's the case, just go with it, and encourage to sit at the table to eat rather than walk around.  She might be frustrated that she can't play and eat??
She might like a new type of breakfast.

You can't really discipline to stop tantrums at this age, just do anything to avoid when you can, re-divert.  Perhaps try distracting her out of a potential melt-down.  TV on, or a toy, or chatting about something you saw outside.
The tough bit here is that she is really hungry, and an upset hungry child is tough!!!

mumma to 2 former BW babies, DD 11, DS 8