Not wanting to eat at table!!

[J & J's Mum]

My ds is almost 21 months old and I have started letting him eat at the table on a booster seat instead of his highchair.  He has become so fussy now with his food, after a few spoonfuls he picks his plate up and says "Mummy Mummy Mummy".

I normally sit him there for his breakfast and dinner and he has his lunch (normally crackers and cheese spread or something he can pick up) at his little table in the living room standing up.  He seems to eat more if he can pick.

I'm not sure whether we should go back to his highchair.  Any suggestions?

[Lana]

Is it important to you that he sit at the table with you to eat? 

If the answer is yes then you need to put him at the table in his highchair or booster and then stick with it.  It is confusing for little ones if for some meals they get to stand up and run around but it is not allowed at other meals. 

[Mum to cool dude]

Like Lana said, I think you have to decide what's your current priority, nutrition or table manners ? At home, I let my LO eat standing up from his kiddie table and if he wants to have a lap of honour with a cracker in hand, that's fine. I do however eat with him at the little table to try to make meals sociable. We also eat out a our local supermarket every week to practice grown-up eating

[Shdef]

How about putting the highchair where the booster seat is? Then let him get used to eating there, and then move him to the booster seat. Some toddlers at that age just don't respond well to changes...

[J & J's Mum]

Thanks, I'll work something out.  At the end of the day, his nutrition is more important.  My husband and I and Jacob went out for lunch today and he sat there perfectly (well, playing with the sachets of tomato sauce and mustard etc) and then he ate 4 and a half fish fingers and a frew chips.  We then took him in to the fun house for an hour.  Boy did he sleep!!!!


Thanks again.
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