Any one else still spoon feeding their 2 1/2 year olds?

The girls have been using silverware since before 18 months, but lately, if I want them to eat a good meal, I have to feed them. Unless it's fruit, yogert (or candy , they'll just sit at the table and play with the food, procrastinate, talk, fool around, anything but eat. But if I feed them they'll willingly eat most stuff...

what's up with this? I used to not mind it so much, but now I have a newborn that I have to tend to and I don't have time to sit with them through every meal and feed them both.

any one else waiting on their children?

 

I do spoon feed mine maybe an applesauce twice a week but that's about all. Most of the food my kids eat is either finger food--sandwiches, fruit or they use a fork. They eat a lot of yogurt and I usually do the frozen go-gurts or help them with those.

 

oh, I don't mean just spoons... they like me to use a fork to feed them, or even pick up finger foods and feed them that too... they are perfectly capable of using a spoon flawlessly, maybe they're just lazy

I could just not feed them, but then they would eat about 50% less then if I put the food in their mouth.

 

With the twins, I spoon fed them yogurt and oatmeal at breakfast until they were probably 3. Not because they'd eat more but because it was just easier for me. :blush: No mess to clean up. In your case, I'd set them up with finger food they typically like and let them have at it. If they eat, great. If not, oh well they'll be hungry next time. It's our job as parents to provide the food; it's their job as children to decide what and how much to eat.

 

I hate to admit this, but I still have to spoon feed DS and they are nearly 3 1/2. :blush: He is just so messy with things like oatmeal, soups, rice, etc...that most of the time I still try and help him. He can manage to do yogurt...at least I send it in his lunch box for school and I assume he is feeding himself. So, I know he can do it, I just can't stand the cleanup and mess. ^_^ DD has been feeding herself for a year plus. AND....don't try and help her either (totally a little miss independent)!

 

I still feed one dd just to make sure she eats. She's had very poor weight gain and is only 24lbs at 3 1/2. If I didn't feed her she would hardly eat anything.

 

Ditto the above.

One of my DDs did feeding therapy at age 2.5 for oral motor tone (she did not chew well). We were told to provide food she COULD eat independently and then let her eat what she will. Not making a big deal of it or begging her to eat more.

FWIW--We were told that 'parent' led feeding will delay her being able to listen to her body and know when she is full/not full or hungry/not hungry.

Offer food at set times, if she eat- she eats. If not then offer again at the next meal or snack. Dont get into food battles (which include getting a parent to fed and/or refusing meals/foods, etc). Often kids will eat poorly one day or two and then make up for it another day.

And yes she is fairly small (at age 5 she is 33 lbs), but healthy.

 

Unless you are worried about weight, I would not feed them for a few meals and see if they get better at doing it alone. I also wouldn't offer food inbetween set times, like meals and morning/afternoon snack. Tell them they are welcome eat but if not they don't get anything until ______. I only rarely help mine eat if they are trying to get the end of somerhing or not feeling well.

 

my kids will eat better if they are helped but i don't help them 99% of the time. i make them do it themselves cause i know they can. of course, if my mother or MIL are around at meal times, they will help feed the kids. i tell them they can do it themselves but they still help them. LOL

tanya

 

Nope. Rarely I'll feed them some yogurt or applesauce in the living room for a snack, but 99% of the time they feed themselves.

My MIL fed my oldest well past the age of 3. To this day, he is a horribly messy eater. Pushes his food onto his fork with his fingers, doesn't hold the silverware properly. Ugh. Drives me crazy. MIL was babysitting for me between the ages of 1-2 and I swear she ruined this child. My 3 younger children can eat nicer than he can. I swore we wouldn't do that again, and so far so good

 

I probably should try to get ours to use their forks & spoons more... but I sure don't spoon it to them! I figure its part of growing up. and I agree with getting them to learn when they are done eating. mine won't let themselves starve...

 

I only feed them if they are sick, or I want to get a bite or two of something into them. So, as a normal rule I dont feed them, they do it themselves. But I find that if I dont watch in-laws, and grandparents and even DH they start feeding the kids, and then they become used to it and then its a bad habit I need to break. I also offer only what is for super, and if they eat then they eat, if not I try not to stress about it.