my two year old has become very lazy

[Pigeon]

Hello,
My 25 month old DD has become very lazy in the last month or so - her appetite is good and I generally have no worries at all about her eating, but she's got into the habit of saying "mummy help" and holding out her spoon. I know full well she can manage a fork and spoon on her own and certainly don't want her regressing back to being fed by me, but sometimes, if I don't at least help with a couple of spoonfuls, she won't eat at all. Recently, she's taken to saying "wait Mummy finish, then eat" (as I eat with her most of the time) its as if she waits for me to be hands-free.
I'm soo tired of saying "no,you eat it yourself like a big girl" and it doesn't seem to make any difference, but our meals are becoming a battle ground and i've fought for 2 years for them not to be!
Any suggestions?
L
ps: there's a little bit of me that thinks, I should always help her when she asks for my help, in all areas, but the rest of me thinks, no, she's just trying it on!! Grrrr!!

[Lan]

My 2 year old is also going though a phase of wanting to be spoon fed again at breakfast.I think it is one of those common toddler regressions. He wants his dad to feed him at breakfast. So what my husband does is 'one for you, one for me' and indulges him. My son likes his cereal with lots of milk which makes it hard to spoon up. We don't do it at lunch or dinner (dinner is a non event at out house anyway). I'm considering it's a phase and it will pass.

He is also refusing to walk now and wants to be carried or go in the stroller -  I think it is a reaction to growing up and not being a baby anymore (he's just about finished with nappies now) - does that make sense? And there is no new baby on the way either!
 
If you don't want to spoon feed her then you could just give her finger food instead.

[Fife_Mum]

We have the same, only we also have 'on your knee Daddy' too. I'm not so willing and usually just put some on his spoon then hand in to him or put it in his bowl loaded so he can pick it up. Often it is when he is tired. However after he ate really well when we were on holiday - lots of restaurants with booster seats, we figured that he is often just too low to the table, so it is hard work scooping the food up himself. So with a shallower bowl, and strangely normal tablespoons and big forks rather than teaspoon-sized toddler ones we have had some success. But, since there is the combination of Arwen being fed, sometimes tiredness, and sitting on an adult chair, we still get asked, and although DH gives in, I just tell him he must be finished if he complains - if he is still hungry (and DH is not there) it works.

[Pigeon]

Thanks ladies, all those comments make sense and I'm glad to see it may well be "one of those phases". DD also seems to eat well in restaurants, I think she's just like her mother, likes people watching!