She writes, "My daughter is about 19 months and I just wanted some tips on getting her to eat with silverware. I give her the option of eating with silverware if she wants to but sometimes it's just easier with her hands. Not worried just wanting some advice. A little WORRIED about my next question. My daughter is such a picky eater. She'll go from one day to the next with different kinds of food she likes. When we go out to eat or over to Grandma's she hardly EATS anything because she seems to always want to be busy. She still takes a bottle right before bed and just drinks it so fast. I feel like she's hungry and counts on that bottle to fill her up at night and we're trying to get her off of it completely soon. I need help with my picky eater! Also any foods or recipes for picky eaters would be great!!"
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14 years ago
Girl, I am there with you. I have no advice except keep trying to give her new things and encouraging. I have one that has all kinds of problems because he is such a picky eater and what he likes isn't exactly good for him. He is almost 8 and still hasn't grown out of it like everyone told me he would. Here's hoping yours grows out of it instead!
ReplyDeleteLook at your own eating habits first. Do you have variety in your diet? Let her help with food related activities to her ability- grocery shopping, cooking, or looking through cookbooks for menu ideas. Also, try out Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. Typical everyone-likes foods, but packed with nutrition. Definately wean her if she's relying too heavily on liquids you just have to limit them, she'll eat when she's hungry enough. The rule in my house is take it or leave it. Thankfully, my toddler has never been picky, but I made that rule because of the difference in how my husband and I turned out. There are foods I don't like, but by and large I'll try anything once because of how food was introduced to me. I also believe the purer the better- ie, if you start out with pureeing your own baby food, they'll eat from the table easier. That's just my two cents!
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
I JUST went to an enrichment last night with a registered dietician who recommended the book "How to get your kid to eat...but not too much" by Ellyn Slatter. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteIt must be the age, my daughter is 19 months too and is very picky. I would just continue to set out silverware and see how she responds, sometimes things take a little while to become constant and interesting to them. With the food thing, I notice that when I eat healthier, my kids do too. My daughter doesn't always eat a lot at her meals, but I try to think of at least one thing she really likes (apple sauce, bread, fruit, etc), and make sure to set that out along with our meal. When they are hungry enough, they will eat. I notice my 19 month old gets full when I set out milk with her meals, so sometimes I put out just her food and then offer a drink afterward. Hope this helps, it is a struggle for most mothers I think :)
ReplyDeleteI think picky eating is very typical for this age. (So don't feel like you're alone!) But it is frustrating, because from day 1, it's one of our top priorities to make sure our babies get enough to eat. When our children start having a say in what and how much, it's difficult for parents to make the shift. I really like the Deceptively Delicious cookbook, and we've gleaned a lot of good from it. My kids take a lot more interest in eating when they get to help (be it deciding, preparing, cooking, dishing up, whatever.) As for silverware, it's great that you're offering it at meals. I have one child who likes to eat more with his hands, and another who insists on using utensils. At that age, it just depends on how advanced their motor skills are, so encourage, but don't force. Good luck, and hang in there!
ReplyDeleteWhen my daughter was that she wanted to eat everything frozen (I awlays have frozen veggies in the fridge.) I worked out wee, she thought she was getting treats and was really eating frozen peas by the handful. The cutlery thing is hard ,but do you eat with her? Or is she eating by herself at the table? Eating with her with cutlery yourself might make a difference. As a young mom myself I know there are no answers but many trys. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteI have a 17 month old who is a Picky eater TOO, and on top it likes to still nurse!! It's a challenge, because I would like to wean her off nursing, but she only eats a handful of stuff! So to save my self from getting frustrated, I've learned to keep trying to introduce her to new foods, but to also keep he favorites close by. When I go out to dinner or somewhere I pre-pack her some steamed carrots and white rice, (her favorite)! Now I just have to work on the weaning off the boob part! http://www.happychaoticfamily.com
ReplyDeleteI have a 3 1/2 year old who is SUCH a picky eater! And sometimes not an eater at all! The only advice I can give you is just keep trying. I even took him to the doctor about it and the doc told me that when he's hungry he'll eat. That is soo hard! But he's right! He goes through spurts of eating EVERYTHING and than a few days of eating nothing. So its not that uncommon. :) Good luck
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