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Parenting
Need some behavioral ideas for a 15 month old
Sounds strage b/c she is still such a baby to me. Lunch and dinner have become somewhat of a nightmare. Maren refuses to sit in her chair to eat. (For some reason breakfast is fine for her to sit in the chair, that's why I know this is behavioral and become her routine. The chair is not hurting her, etc.) She will freak out, scream, cry, throw all her food down if we let her, etc. The past few days I've given in by holding her while she eats or letting her walk with her food. Neither are great everyday habits if you ask me though. I'm fine occasionally, but not every lunch and dinner.
It's the meal times, not the chair. She is freaking out at a friend's house in a different chair, restaurant, and in our alternate chair. I'm at my wits end. So just now, she lost it. I told her "first sit, then eat". She's pointing at her food, but will not sit. I even tried to get her to eat a popsicle in her chair, just to get her to sit there and eat something. No dice. I told my husband she has to sit in a chair (her's or a regular table chair) for dinner and I guess she won't eat until she does so. I don't think she is too young to understand. We were all clapping for her, as she briefly sat in her chair, but that didn't work either.
I'm at a loss. I have seriously no idea what else to do. It's pretty bad if we can't eat in a restaurant or with friends though b/c she refuses to sit.
And while you are at it, I'd also love advice on a 15 month old who pulls hair when she is mad. Today she ripped a chunk out of a friends daughter's hair. Oy.
I don't have any grey hair yet, but I am sure it is only a matter of time. I need help.
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Re: Need some behavioral ideas for a 15 month old
IDK, she's 15m old. I think that's really pretty normal and not indicative of how she'll be forever or that if you give her other options right now it will be a problem later on. I really wouldn't withhold food from a 15m old as a way to get her to do what you want her to.
We went through a phase where we couldn't go out to dinner b/c Ethan just wasn't restaurant-friendly. Most parents I know went through that phase.
As for the hair pulling, at that age, I can't imagine anything other than redirection. it's frustrating; I remember Ethan going through some aggressive behaviors at that age, but it was mostly b/c he didn't have a ton of words to express his frustration. A lot of redirection & trying vocalize for him what his frustrations were at the time was the only thing I did. It passed.
My daughter is a few weeks older than yours and we just went through the exact same thing. The chair thing lasted for a few weeks and then all of the sudden, she had no issue being back in her high chair, no idea why.
When she was throwing these fits, I would allow her to stand at the table and eat (we have a small, kid's size table that my DS and DD eat at), but the food couldn't leave the table. If she tried to walk away, I took the food away. There were a few nights she just decided she didn't want to eat.
Good luck!
This is the hardest age for me b/c of all the testing limits and her knowing what she wants, but not being able to express it. If she's stay near the table or whatever, then fine. I know she is a baby, but at the same time I just don't want these behaviors to turn into habits. I was with some friends today and they were both like, "boy you've got your hands full." She's sweet most the time, but I swear she has hit the terrible twos with her tantrums when she doesn't get what she wants.
And of course I would not let her go all night without eating and she does still drink 8 ounce s of milk before bed. She is not going to starve or anything.
Maybe she's just really hungry at breakfast and is less hungry as the day goes on so she'll sit when she really wants to eat a lot. . . who knows.