2 year old wont feed himself

Danielle - posted on 10/18/2010

Hi im having the same issue!!!!!!!!!! I know he can do it because he draws and holds a crayon with no problem he is just lazy! eating is such a project he likes to read books at the table and i have to feed him ..when i tell him to do it he screams MOMMY DO IT! and he is 2 1/2 and only 24 pounds so of course i continue to feed him,...Dr tells me to just put the food there and tell him he has to do it or he doesnt eat! But i feel bad to do that!!!! ughhh i dont know what to do anymore!!!!

Melissa - posted on 07/06/2010

My first son did that. A lot of times I would just make him do it himself, but then there are times when you just want them to eat and don't want to have a battle over it so I'd do it for him. He'll grow out of it. Joshua is four now and does everything for himself and wants no help from me.

Deanne - posted on 06/15/2010

My daughter is the opposite most of the time. She will not let me feed her at all.
Maybe try & make the food look more interesting for him, make a fruit & veg face etc.... & like another mum said, wait til he is hungry.
Is he still having milk? That will fill him up as will juice.

Christina - posted on 06/12/2010

You could try, if you haven't already, getting him own set of plates, bowls, and forks n spoons. My daughter has her own, three sets actually, and she eats better off of them than anything else. I also don't try to feed her anymore. If she doesn't eat throughout the day, I'll feed her something a couple hours before bedtime then she's ready to pass out. She does get ceeal bars and her choice of a couple things to snack on throughout the day so she's not starving. She's also got a bag of Cheerios snack mix on her little table so she can munch on that from time to time. She's not against eating stale cereal so I have no problem leaving it out for her. She also gets V-8 V-Fusion juice mixed with water instead of milk during the day. She only gets milk at nap time and bed time.

Another thing, actually a question, does your son like messy foods? My daughter loves ravioli, spaghettios, and mashed potatoes, pretty much anything she can get her hands into and make a mess with. I actually started encouraging her to do that so she'd eat more. It worked! Now she knows she won't get in trouble if she plays with her food, as long as she eats it. The one thing she does get in trouble for is mashing peas. She doesn't like them so she just makes a big mess with them and won't eat whatever food they're with. Also mixing foods, like mashed potatoes with broccoli, might help.

Just a few suggestions. Good luck!

Alison - posted on 06/09/2010

Stop feeding him! Tell him he is a big boy because he is 2 years old. He can understand that.

Emily - posted on 06/08/2010

I have a similar problem...my son wont use a spoon or fork if I'm close by. I know he can do it by himself, he just chooses not to. He'll get mad if I dont take his fork and pierce the food for him, and he throws the fork on the floor. I know it sounds cruel, but when he does this, I just ignore the him. If he's hungry enough, he eventually eats. If he's not that hungry he gets down from the table. My doctor told me that he wont starve if he misses a few meals.
Maybe if you offer a variety of finger foods, that he has access to throughout the day, that he can snack on, maybe that would be better than a few larger meals. Maybe he wouldnt get so bored so fast?? I agree with Michelle about the milk also. I limit my son's milk to with meals and before bed.
Good luck with this challenge! And let us know if he is doing any better!

Michelle - posted on 06/08/2010

Have you tried to wait on his usual feeding time - until he is really, really hungry(I know it's hard) and then feed him? Also, don't let him fill up on milk before hand.