Still feeding my 16 month old.

Lindsay - posted on 09/27/2009

My son is 16 months also and loves to eat and is starting to feed himself. I have give him a fork everytime he eats and help him use it. Sometimes he uses it, sometimes he doesn't. He will use it when he is ready. Don't rush it. All babies are diffferent.



I stopped given him baby food at 12 months. Maybe you can try to give him different foods. Sometime they don't like the texture of foods. Just keep giving him food and if you have to feed him then that is fine. As long as he eats, right? Are you giving him snacks too. I will give my son some applesauce. He loves fruit, eggs, jelly sandwiches, rice, animal crackers, and pasta. Just try different things and see what he really likes. Children don't care if they eat the same thing over and over. Just make sure he gets all the food groups (even if you have to feed him baby food). He will eat when he is ready. Maybe he isn't ready to get rid of the baby food yet. As long as his belly is full is all that matters. Have fun with it.

Patricia - posted on 09/25/2009

My son, also is similar to this replies. He is still drinking formula in a bottle though. He is drinking the Next Step type. At about 10 months he didn't like to be spoon fed. He liked his finger Gerber snacks. After 13 months, he turned to the opposite and wouldn't eat as much unless we spoon fed him. He is still like this at 16 months. Now, I've tried both spoon feeding and finger foods at the same time. I would let him hold a piece of chicken (stripped off piece), and spoon feed him mushy foods like mashed potatoes, etc. If I take too long to give him is spooned food, I allow him to eat his finger food in his fingers, or get a sip of water from his straw cup. I make sure he gets two at a time. At night, before he's ready to sleep, I allow him his 10 oz bottle and bonding/reading time. In the morning, he is ready to eat when he wakes up. As for the vitamins, he refuses to eat, or drink anything with it. He can smell it, and gags at the smell.

Cathralynn - posted on 09/24/2009

Quoting Miranda:

I'm in a similar situation. I stopped all baby food at about a year, and have been feeding her finger food. She did great with it for the first 2 months. (12-14) and now(at 16), she's taken a turn. She refuses to feed herself with a spoon or fork, and only eats about 5 raviolis or whatever else. She will eat every Gerber puff I put on the tray, but that's not right! She loves yogurt and will eat the whole thing. I give her children's vitamins daily, as recommended by her pediatrician but only one(it says give them 2 at 2 years but since she's younger, just one) I'm going to give her another week or so to have me shove it all in her mouth, but then I've got to let loose and let her self-feed! They're old enough to know what hunger is and how to fix it, so just put 5 bites on his tray at a time..thataway he doesn't waste much. I'm going to attempt less food more often until she starts cooperating! Good luck! Let me know if you figure out something that works. ;)

Hey, with the vitamins, what kind do you give your daughter?  The gummi kind, or the hard ones?  Your daughter has no problem eating em?  I have been wanting to start my daughter on them but since they say 2, have waited.  The infant drops smell horrible and since my daughter doesn't do bottles anymore, they're out!  My daughter eats really well but I'm still scared to not follow rules, tee-hee!

Oh and so everyone knows, around 2, babies stop growing as much as they did as infants, and so they suddenly don't need to eat as much.  This is where your picky eater that always ate well before comes in.  We just have to learn to let go!

Cathralynn - posted on 09/24/2009

I had the reverse situation but maybe I can help a lil. My daughter refused spoon feeding at 8mo and would only eat finger foods! But I've come to really enjoy it. I think it lets the babies control their eating more and follow there hungry and full cues. Here's my thoughts, google baby led weaning. That's where I found my plan. I only feed chopped up ingredients of my meals. Some new things and some things I know my daughter loves. I offer something from each food group and let her pick how much and what to eat. But the baby is going to do a lot better if you eat on their feeding schedule. So feed your son breakfast lunch and dinner at family meals where others are eating they know its mealtime and eat better, especially if you guys are eating the same foods. And then at snack times I sit at the table too and drink something or take bites of her crackers or whatever. I think its important to establish this is eating time. Then just don't offer anything else. And when he throws it on the floor he is done eating. When he says he's hungry or its a mealtime again, back into the chair and offer finger foods again. Make sure you offer water or milk in a cup too. Its always nice to be able to drink with your meals right? He can control his own eating habits for sure, he won't starve. He can communicate when he's hungry right? And if he's not crying this is not a big deal. I think they get fuller on solid foods and don't eat what you would think a meal is. Just make sure its balanced and all the offerings, even snacks are healthy. Then it doesn't matter if he eats a huge snack, and a light lunch. It will work out. Pay attention to what he eats all day or each week. Not at one meal. But yeah, him picking when he is full is best cause it leads less to forced overeating and obesity. And you have to give him the opportunity to learn it for himself. Good luck!

Miranda - posted on 09/24/2009

I'm in a similar situation. I stopped all baby food at about a year, and have been feeding her finger food. She did great with it for the first 2 months. (12-14) and now(at 16), she's taken a turn. She refuses to feed herself with a spoon or fork, and only eats about 5 raviolis or whatever else. She will eat every Gerber puff I put on the tray, but that's not right! She loves yogurt and will eat the whole thing. I give her children's vitamins daily, as recommended by her pediatrician but only one(it says give them 2 at 2 years but since she's younger, just one) I'm going to give her another week or so to have me shove it all in her mouth, but then I've got to let loose and let her self-feed! They're old enough to know what hunger is and how to fix it, so just put 5 bites on his tray at a time..thataway he doesn't waste much. I'm going to attempt less food more often until she starts cooperating! Good luck! Let me know if you figure out something that works. ;)

Chelle - posted on 09/23/2009

With my son he throws a lot of his food on the floor too. So I just let him stay in his high chair til he wants down. He will tell me if he is hungry again and I will feed him a snack. But I stopped all baby food at 12 months. My son also drinks a soy version of pediasure for extra calories (he was a preemie and is small) but I know he gets the added nutrients in it too. So I would just let him tell you when he is hungry. They know when they are.