Ryan used to eat anything and everything with great excitement and motivation. There wasn't a baby food I offered him that he didn't willing scarf down. But, alas, no more.
My adorable 10 month old son is apparently on a hunger strike. He nurses just fine. But when it comes to sitting down and eating, he will do just about everything except eat. He will mush the food between his fingers (I offer him LOTS of finger food choices at every meal) he will drop it on the floor, he will put it on his head occasionally, he will offer it to me or his Daddy, but he will NOT eat, except when he is distracted and we can sneak food into his mouth.
I know my son is not going to starve to death. I know he will eventually eat (I don't know many grown men who still only drink breast milk!) but in the meantime it is very STRESSFUL! I want him to be a good eater. I don't want him to be a picky eater, so I refuse to offer him sweet and/or more appealing items. He gets lots of fruits, veggies, lean meats, and whole grains. I don't expect him to even know that things like french fries, chicken fingers, or hot dogs exist until he is MUCH older. I do NOT WANT A PICKY EATER!! I have nightmares (not really) about battles over food on a daily basis as our little baby grows older. Please tell me he will out-grow this, sooner rather than later. Please tell me he will learn to eat healthy food without daily battles.
And in the meantime, if you have any suggestions about how to work through this, please let me know!
Oh Kristen,
ReplyDeleteI so know how you feel. Cooper is the pickiest EVER. He will only eat about 10 items and most of those are snack foods (crackers, granola bars, etc.). NO veggies whatsoever. Hardly any meat. And LOTS of milk. SO frustrating! Sorry I don't have any suggestions for you. Just know you're not the only one struggling!
He will grow out of not eating. Can't promise he will not be picky, but he will eat. :)
ReplyDeleteI would say to limit his food choices to up to three things - all from different food groups, just like your meal. Keep exposing him to the same things - sometimes it takes 20 exposures before a kid likes something. And take the food away when he plays with it. You can say something like, "Food is for eating, not playing." And, finally, make eating a positive experience. No fighting, forcing, or battle of the wills. Try games... if he's not interested take it away. He won't starve since you're nursing.... once you are ready to wean, he will be hungry enough to eat. Until then, he might just enjoy sitting at the table with you and Matt for social time. And that's okay.