Tell me to calm down

momofcatan

I get irrationally annoyed when DD doesn't eat, it is really bad and I need to learn to not let it bug me. She used to be an amazing eater but she had slowed down and is now a lot pickier, especially with her veggies and meat. It bugs me that she is not eating a lot (and also barely nursing at this point) and it also bugs me when I need to throw out all the food that has been squished/thrown on the floor repeatedly. Any tip or tricks to suggest? I already start to switch up the foods as soon as she starts tossing it. I season most of her veggies. There are some foods she will eat one day and refuse the next which is so frustrating. Truthfully I think she is acting like a normal kid and I need to learn to calm down, but it still gets under my skin.

Also, she likes to pull of her bib so I will take it off in hopes that she will keep eating without that distraction. She will then grab at her shirt where the bib was. This kid....

kelly422

I could have written this.  Totally normal

WasNotWas

Calm down. The food/eating struggles are just beginning and you will lose all your hair and your patience in the process. I've learned that the less attention you pay to what they are eating, the better they eat. Just give her the food and walk away (well not too far away). If she eats, she eats, if not, she will tomorrow. Unless you are worried about her growth, I wouldn't worry about what/if she is eating.

I wasn't always of this mindset, this blog: https://www.thestorkandthebeanstalk.com/category/hooper-eats/ helped me...she has an occupational therapist friend who came and helped her with her picky eating problems (her son is older than our littles, but I think the same rules apply)

Good luck and CALM DOWN!!

musicalsilver

This sounds a lot like my LO.  Some nights I feel like I'm lucky to get him to eat just a few bites.  And for the most part I've given up on the bib and accept that added clean-up that entails.

I know if I didn't have dogs, I'd go batty.  They're kind enough to do most of the floor clean-up for me.

It sounds like you already know that your LO is behaving totally normally for this age-group - so really I have nothing but commiserations to offer!

momofcatan

@musicalsilver‌ I thinking last week all those ladies with dogs are lucky, I would probably be less crazy if all the food on the floor magically disappeared.

dmlk413

This sounds like my DD exactly.  Just roll with it.  It's annoying but there's nothing you can do.

cafecreme

It's pretty normal. She's good with eating food but when she's in one of those moods, or just wants to play, my dining room and floors are a mess afterwards. Doesn't help that there's carpet everywhere. Once she starts playing with it that's when I stop feeding her, and I'll let her sip off her sippy cup, and then try again in an hour. 

mshukh

Completely normal. Having a dog does help unless they throw something toxic to the dog (tomatoes come to mind). To avoid the kid feeding the dog for fun instead of eating, I tell the dog to lie on his mat and wait until the kiddo is done. Gives me a chance to pick up the odd tomato that has made it on the floor or something else, too. Then I release the dog and he goes at it to clean up while we clean up the kid. 

But though the dog helps, I still have to wipe the floor cause it's greasy and dirty and I'm a clean freak. I also found that if I walk away and don't pay much attention, my LO eats better. 

kelly422

Sympkin said:

@musicalsilver‌ I thinking last week all those ladies with dogs are lucky, I would probably be less crazy if all the food on the floor magically disappeared.

Dog does help. I really have no idea how much she has dropped at any particular meal because most if it is *poof* by the time I get back to the chair after cleaning her up. I try to be as calm as possible about food issues and not micromanage her. I make sure I'm not just watching her eat and counting it all up about which bites make it to her mouth.

Do some people actually count how many bites go in their LO's mouth?!

Western Diva

kelly422 said:

Sympkin said:

araziza said:

@musicalsilver‌ I thinking last week all those ladies with dogs are lucky, I would probably be less crazy if all the food on the floor magically disappeared.

Dog does help. I really have no idea how much she has dropped at any particular meal because most if it is *poof* by the time I get back to the chair after cleaning her up.

I try to be as calm as possible about food issues and not micromanage her. I make sure I'm not just watching her eat and counting it all up about which bites make it to her mouth.

Do some people actually count how many bites go in their LO's mouth?!


Nope.

cynthia2007

Sounds like my LO too...but we have two dogs who now know that her mealtime is their snacktime! I just tell myself one day she'll eat w/o making such a mess...one day.

GraceInCA

It's totally normal. They go through phases.  If clean up is getting to be a hassle, just throw down a tarp or cut open trash bag on the ground under the high chair.

The key to developing a good palate is just giving them access.  Continuing to expose her to a good variety of food is all you can really do at this point. Sit her down for a snack, give her some thin slices of cucumber, grape tomatoes cut in half, a few crackers, maybe a little cheese. 

Also, one thing that made a huge difference when our son was a baby in terms of whether or not he was going to eat was whether we were eating. We'd sit him down at mealtime with us, and all eat together. We wouldn't watch him or focus on him eating, we'd just do our thing.

emschmeid

If meal times are always a struggle and your LO is not growing along the appropriate curve, consider seeing an occupational therapist. We were struggling, so much that I came to dread meals, and our LO dropped significantly on the curve. After meeting with an OT and beginning oral stimulation exercises, his eating habits have greatly improved!