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Mealtime screaming

jonesie2010jonesie2010 member
in Toddlers: 12 - 24 Months
Hi. I recently came over from the month boards, and I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this. DD is 13 months old, and we have been having some major mealtime drama. She's always been a very enthusiastic eater. It was great when we started solids because she would eat anything and everything we gave her. But now it has gotten to the point that she is so impatient for food that she has a screaming fit more often than not because I can't get it ready fast enough for her. DH tries to play with her while I get her evening meal ready, but she hears the microwave or the cabinets closing from the other room and she starts fussing and crying at the gate. If DH is gone and I have to get it ready myself, she sits on the floor and screams until it's ready. When she's eating finger foods I can only give her a piece or two at a time because she stuffs it all in her mouth and swallows whole. If I am feeding her, she cries if I don't spoon it in fast enough. She invariably cries when the food is gone. It's like she doesn't know when she's full. I honestly think she would keep eating until she threw up if I let her. Even as an infant, she would drain her bottle every time and cry for more even though she was getting 36 oz a day or more. This child is not starved by any means. I feed her plenty, on a regular, frequent schedule. The daycare teachers have talked to me about this as well. I don't think it's quite as bad there because she has the distraction of other kids. But they say she eats a ton there and they're working on helping her be more patient. But I am at my wit's end here. Is this a phase? Any tips on helping her learn patience? Her temperament has been pretty cranky and tantrum-y in general for about a month now, and this is just making it worse. I miss my sweet, happy 11 month old! Help!
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Re: Mealtime screaming

  • jonesie2010jonesie2010 member
    Sorry for the lack of paragraphs. On my tablet.
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  • jonesie2010jonesie2010 member
    Well, it wasn't this bad yet when we had her 12 month check so I didn't think to mention it. And I do sometimes put her in her chair with a snack. The problem with that is she eats so fast and tends not to chew. So she requires a lot of close monitoring. It's hard to get the main meal ready while I'm making sure she doesn't choke on the snack.
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  • honeydew01honeydew01 member
    My DD was never a good eater to be begin with but right at 12 months and 2 weeks she took it to a whole new level of fussiness at mealtimes. It was like an overnight change in her behavior. She arches back and refuses to be put in the high chair to begin with. I guess where our kids differ is that I'd kill for her to eat or drink. She cries and screams and refuses to eat or drink and starting 12.5 months she started spitting everything out after testing it. She drinks 0.5 to 1 oz of milk at meal times..that is with lots of reminders that her cup of milk is there in front of her...us exaggerating drinking our drinks in front of her..and she barely eats anything at meal time.once in a while she surprises us and eats... but usually she sits and watches us eat and just stares at her food. That is if she is not crying. 

    I'm sorry I don't have much advice but I wanted to just say that kids are so finicky, I guess we have kids on very opposite sides of this eating thing. Before being a parent I had no idea I'd spend so much time and energy worrying about her food. When I took my DD to the doctor she said that their taste buds go through changes at a year old...mine has become super picky (usually happens later at 2 to 2.5 I was told) and maybe yours is really liking the flavors of various foods..I'd take her to the doctor to put your mind at ease. One thing I do is to prepare her meals in advance and when it's time to eat, we just warm it up. Would you be able to do that to help with her melt downs while she is waiting for food?
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  • jonesie2010jonesie2010 member
    honeydew01 said:

    My DD was never a good eater to be begin with but right at 12 months and 2 weeks she took it to a whole new level of fussiness at mealtimes. It was like an overnight change in her behavior. She arches back and refuses to be put in the high chair to begin with. I guess where our kids differ is that I'd kill for her to eat or drink. She cries and screams and refuses to eat or drink and starting 12.5 months she started spitting everything out after testing it. She drinks 0.5 to 1 oz of milk at meal times..that is with lots of reminders that her cup of milk is there in front of her...us exaggerating drinking our drinks in front of her..and she barely eats anything at meal time.once in a while she surprises us and eats... but usually she sits and watches us eat and just stares at her food. That is if she is not crying. 


    I'm sorry I don't have much advice but I wanted to just say that kids are so finicky, I guess we have kids on very opposite sides of this eating thing. Before being a parent I had no idea I'd spend so much time and energy worrying about her food. When I took my DD to the doctor she said that their taste buds go through changes at a year old...mine has become super picky (usually happens later at 2 to 2.5 I was told) and maybe yours is really liking the flavors of various foods..I'd take her to the doctor to put your mind at ease. One thing I do is to prepare her meals in advance and when it's time to eat, we just warm it up. Would you be able to do that to help with her melt downs while she is waiting for food?
    Sorry to hear you're going through eating stress. But it does make me feel better that I'm not the only one with dinner drama, even if it's a different kind.

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  • jonesie2010jonesie2010 member
    Great ideas, thanks! I will try some of those this week. One thing I have noticed has helped the after dinner crying when the food is gone is to give her one of those baby arrowroot cookies while I take away her plate. It's like it gives her time to accept that the food is gone. :)
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  • emberlee3emberlee3 member
    DD was always ravenously hungry at that age. I tend to have a lot of leftovers on hand, so those would tide her over while dinner was cooking.

    For a while, she ate a huge bowl of oatmeal every day as soon as we got home, then a full dinner and half an avocado, for good measure. Now that her growth has slowed down, her appetite has decreased and she'd rather be playing. I suspect the same will happen to your LO in a few months.
    DS born 8/8/09 and DD born 6/12/12.
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  • honeydew01honeydew01 member
    jonesie2010 said:
    My DD was never a good eater to be begin with but right at 12 months and 2 weeks she took it to a whole new level of fussiness at mealtimes. It was like an overnight change in her behavior. She arches back and refuses to be put in the high chair to begin with. I guess where our kids differ is that I'd kill for her to eat or drink. She cries and screams and refuses to eat or drink and starting 12.5 months she started spitting everything out after testing it. She drinks 0.5 to 1 oz of milk at meal times..that is with lots of reminders that her cup of milk is there in front of her...us exaggerating drinking our drinks in front of her..and she barely eats anything at meal time.once in a while she surprises us and eats... but usually she sits and watches us eat and just stares at her food. That is if she is not crying. 

    I'm sorry I don't have much advice but I wanted to just say that kids are so finicky, I guess we have kids on very opposite sides of this eating thing. Before being a parent I had no idea I'd spend so much time and energy worrying about her food. When I took my DD to the doctor she said that their taste buds go through changes at a year old...mine has become super picky (usually happens later at 2 to 2.5 I was told) and maybe yours is really liking the flavors of various foods..I'd take her to the doctor to put your mind at ease. One thing I do is to prepare her meals in advance and when it's time to eat, we just warm it up. Would you be able to do that to help with her melt downs while she is waiting for food?
    Sorry to hear you're going through eating stress. But it does make me feel better that I'm not the only one with dinner drama, even if it's a different kind.
    Thanks. Hopefully both of our kids even out as they grow older. Maybe we should do a baby swap for a day. :) I don't know what I'd do with myself if DD asks for "more" or actually gobbles down the food in front of her or drinks her milk. I may just pass out from the shock. But on a serious note, I totally know that your situation can be totally stressful as well. My cousin's baby also likes to eat nonstop and she has the same worries as you...hang in there...
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