PLEASE HELP! i'm going to have the oldest kid still on baby food!

seriously! he just turned 1 on friday and he still fights me on every single meal! he'll be going to pre-k with a stage 2 at this point!

he doesn't want real food AND he fights me on baby food (he always did this.) he still doesn't finish a stage 2 jar of baby food! if he tries a real food then it is usually no more than the size of a quarter!

and i just don't get it sometimes he'll eat something and then i try it the next day and he refuses. total lock jaw. like yesterday he had some carrots and peas and 1 noodle. today he wouldn't touch it.

i've tried (he's allergic to eggs): chicken nuggets, chicken breast, fish sticks, meatballs, pasta, sandwiches, cheese, tofu, diced carrotsm peas, sweet potato, cauliflower, hummus, cottage cheese, rice pudding, french fries, sweetpotato fries, lentils, yogurt, cream cheese, pancakes, waffles, crescent rolls, fig newtons, cupcakes.

he likes blueberries, grapes, watermellon, oranges, mums, puffs, arrowroot cookies, tomato sauce,and i make him eat yogurt.

i don't know what to do anymore! i prepare everything SUPER SOFT and small or mushed up so he can eat easier. he still gags and throws up sometimes.

i've tried feeding him by spoon and by hand and letting him self feed.

as a side note: he must be holding something while he's eating and he usually only holds it a few seconds till he tosses it and wants the next thing to hold. he will NOT eat unless he is being entertained and even then it's difficult.

a typical day:

breakfast- 3/4 yobaby yogurt mixed with 2 tbls oatmeal, 5-20 blueberries, maybe 1-5 cherrios.

lunch- i try a real food and when he rejects it he eats he eats 3/4 a stage 2 veggie or a veggie/meat.

dinner- stage 2 2oz. meat mixed with a stage 1 fruit.

HELP PLEASE, I'M AT A TOTAL LOSS AT WHAT TO DO AND SOOOO FRUSTRATED!

Re: PLEASE HELP! i'm going to have the oldest kid still on baby food!

This was my DS to a T!! It is so frustrating and I dreaded mealtime when it came to lunch and forget dinner. I would just keep trying, thats really the only thing you can do.
Since he does like tomatoe sauce I would give him everything in that! You can do peas, carrots, ground meat, pasta like orzo, chicken. My DD eats anything you give her but if it is in a sauce she is like a vacuum cleaner.

Have you tried mac&cheese? My DS likes it gooy. Up until now (25 months old) I use to make it with a slice of american cheese some milk and a little butter.

As far as the hummus, I would try a differnt flavor and put it on a cracker. I give DS roasted pepper or roasted garlic.

What about banana's? I use to cut it up for him and he loved them. Also maybe drinkable yogurt.

I wish I could tell you it gets easier but for us it isn't. He still has a limited diet except I just learned to except it. He is gaining weight and that is all that counts.

Re: PLEASE HELP! i'm going to have the oldest kid still on baby food!

oh i am so sorry that yu are going throught this! it is so tough with a picky eater. as long as hes thriving dont stress youself too bad. (i know easier said than done) My one of my DD's (who is 10 now) was like this and she still is a VERY picky eater. just keep doing what you are. by trying to give him diffrent foods. you are doing a good job mom!!

Re: PLEASE HELP! i'm going to have the oldest kid still on baby food!

You've probably tried this, but I've found that if I keep Christopher in the high chair longer, he eats more. He sometimes would crank to get out and I would take him out and he'd still be hungry. So I just leave stuff for him to munch on on his tray.

Also, I've also found that he doesn't like anything hot, or even warm. He lets things get lukewarm before he eats them, maybe that would help?

Re: PLEASE HELP! i'm going to have the oldest kid still on baby food!

My advice is going to be a bit crueler...don't give him babyfood anymore. If you don't offer it to him, he won't eat it.

With my son, I am into the mode of if he doesn't eat what I am giving him, unfortunately he goes to bed hungry.

He usually comes around and has a bite or two of what I want him to eat.

Re: PLEASE HELP! i'm going to have the oldest kid still on baby food!

Re: PLEASE HELP! i'm going to have the oldest kid still on baby food!

At the end of the day, this is a control issue. You need to let him know that you are the boss.

Re: PLEASE HELP! i'm going to have the oldest kid still on baby food!

My oldest is a very picky eater, i know your pain. My doc says she's doing well and it's normal toddler behavior, and they know how much they can and will eat. They know better than we do when they had enough.

My mom said somehting to me that made me feel soooo much better cause she went through this with my brother. Her doc asked her if my bro was pooping everyday, she said yes, he said-well then he's eating enough.

And that's SOOOooo true!

He's starting to assert his independence-the very beginning of the long toddler and preschool years :)
he doesn't want you to feed him, he wants to do it himself, I'd give him whatever you want to feed him, limit snacks in between mealtimes and let him sit and play with his food, mash it himself, eat it and he'll learn. Keep mealtimes positive, you don't want him associating mealtimes with negativity and stress.

GL

Re: PLEASE HELP! i'm going to have the oldest kid still on baby food!

I wouldn't stress out about it. He's 1, he'll get into table food before kindergarten.

My cousin was born in 1980. Back then the pediatrician told his mom only breast milk or formula until 1 year, and then she started him on cereal. Fast forward to now, he's one of the most adventurous eaters I know.

Re: PLEASE HELP! i'm going to have the oldest kid still on baby food!

I completely agree with Racheee. I was making all of these meals for Jack - when he wouldn't eat them I would give in and give babyfood. Now, I'm happy to say that he hasn't had babyfood in almost two weeks.

He now eats in front of the TV though and has been eating MUCH more food.

If he doesn't eat whatever I make him I try the usuals that I know he loves - yogurt, applesauce, cookies. But even those he only gets after at least trying a few bites of food.

He has eaten so much more since I stopped having the babyfood as backup.

He'll eat when he's hungry!!

Re: PLEASE HELP! i'm going to have the oldest kid still on baby food!

Re: PLEASE HELP! i'm going to have the oldest kid still on baby food!

MrsT

Its is not so bad..all in due time. My DS ate all sorts of foods at 11 months. Just before he turned 1 he got a stomach virus. For 3 months all he ate was yogurt. I am not joking. I mixed in fruits and oatmeal just to get vitamins in him but he did the same thing and would gag and throw up with anything else. The day he ate toast we had a party. Eventually we worked our way to grilled cheese and pb&j. He is now going on 3 and that is all he will eat, occasionally pizza. He seems to have a sensory thing with sticky, wet foods. Crunchy and crisp is no problem. FOr instance he will eat the breading off chicken nuggets but spit out the chicken.
Before I had him I would agree that you should take it away and be harsh. With my DS that doesn't work. At his school he does not eat. They make the lunch and if it is not pb&j he doesn't eat. I don't bring in food because I am trying to be harsh and waiting for the day that he caves and tries something new....but it hasn't happened. BUT...he is 38lbs of solid boy so I am not worried!!

Re: PLEASE HELP! i'm going to have the oldest kid still on baby food!

My boys were on babyfood, not fully but alot until 16 months. Then I just said forget this, I am not buying it anymore.

Kids will not starve themselves and they might fight you on it, but they will figure out if theydon't eat what is on their tray, they won't be getting anything else.

Re: PLEASE HELP! i'm going to have the oldest kid still on baby food!

my only question is if he is gagging on it, have you spoken to the Ped about it?

Maybe theres a reason?

Like GERD etc that he is not eating?

Re: PLEASE HELP! i'm going to have the oldest kid still on baby food!

Why not try some Gerber or Beechnut meals for toddlers? Emma loves those.

Re: PLEASE HELP! i'm going to have the oldest kid still on baby food!

we are in the same boat. she is still on stage 2 and 3 foods, but will pick off of our plates when we are eating which is fine. This weekend i had put pasta on tray and she would not touch it, but if i gave it to her, then it was ok............ I am just trying to take it one step at a time........ hang in there!

Re: PLEASE HELP! i'm going to have the oldest kid still on baby food!

My DS is 23 months and I still use the jars as backup. I know I really have to try and wean him off. He doesn't eat much either.

This is what he eats:
Chicken Nuggets
French Fries (could live off of them)
Pancakes (plain flavor or the blueberry ones)
Pasta (with chicken or beef broth)
Pasta with Sauce
Pasta with Escarole (He will only eat this at my mother's house)
Oranges
Bananas
Watermelon
Bread
Hot Dog
A little bit of pizza
Yogurt
Eggs (sometimes)
I've tried Jello and I thought he liked it but now he is starting to refuse that too.

He snacks on:
Apple jacks
Honey nut cheerios
Honeycombs
Goldfish Crackers

I have tried a lot of things and he turns his head away and starts crying. And if he takes the food then what he'll do is keep it in his mouth forever and refuses to swallow it. Drives me nuts!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot get him to eat any vegetables. He used to eat carrots but even that is out the window. I'm gonna try putting butter on the veggies, maybe he'll eat them that way.

Honestly i'm at the point where whatever works works. I try not to stress over it. As long as he eats something, takes his vitamins, and the doctor says he's fine and healthy then I try not to let it stress me out.