How do I train my 20 months old boy to eat without being forced before he goes to childcare center?

Question

He's giving me a hard time when I feed him. I have to hold him tight by one hand and have to feed him with another hand. Then he eat. It's not that he doesn't like the food or so. I let him eat by himself but he's just playing with it. What he takes nowadays is just formula milk without being forced. He's a healthy baby. He used to have a weight at top of his age range at 6 months old. Now he's just 13kg. Since I started the solid food for him, he started losing his weight. When I checked with the doctor about his weight, he's said he's in normal. I breastfed him till he's 15 months old and he's now still on forumla. I'm intending to send him to childcare center soon, so I want to be sure that he'll eat enough food without giving them so much troubles. And he doesn't let anyone feed him, only me as he's been with me all the time.

Answer 1

Stop coddeling him. Formula is for babies for a reason. Cook one meal for the whole family, put in front of him, if he doesn't eat he'll be hungry, eventually he'll eat. It may take a few days, but he won't starve, I promise. Don't give in, food is one of the only things kids feel they have control over.

Answer 2

Toddlers battle with their parents over many things that they do so easily at daycare. My daughter fights me when it comes to food but at daycare eats fine. They know when we are frustrated and play off that sometimes, even at this young of age. Don't struggle with him over food. Give him his food, he should be able to feed himself. If he doesn't eat just put him down from his chair and say okay you're all done then. Don't scold him or anything. Toddlers go through stages where they don't eat as much and they do fine. Also, after solids are introduced they tend not to gain as much weight as they did when they are little. My daughter was in the 75th percentile until she was 12 months, and now is in the 25th, and that's fine.

Answer 3

Forcing him to eat will only cause him to have problems later. It is completly normal for babies even at the very TOP of weight limits to level out once any solids are started. Formula/breastmilk contains many more calories than solid foods.
My own son at his 9 month checkup was above teh 95th percentile for weight but by 12 months-started solids in earnest at abotu 10 1/2 to 11 months-he had dropped off to the 40th.

Answer 4

Children won't starve themselves (in the absence of a medical condition). My suggestion would be to just put a variety of healthy foods out for him and not pressure him. If he eats, fine, and if not, then repeat at the next snack or meal. He will probably be confused at first, wondering why you aren't freaking out about it, but eventually he will try something on his own.

Good foods to put out - cooked pasta, pieces of fruits that he likes, pieces of meat or chicken strips, carrot sticks (cut lengthwise so they aren't a choking hazard), crackers or bread, cheese, broccoli with dip, little tomatoes, etc. Let him choose - once he starts eating things, it's ok for him to just eat cheese and ignore everything else, because the chances are that he will eat only fruit or veggies or crackers another time. Over time, he will choose a balanced diet for himself (as long as you aren't including chocolate cake or twinkies in the selection!). It's ok to let him have treats too, but separate them from regular meals, and don't let him have more than a tiny bit if he's not eating anything else.

There's a really good book called My Child Won't Eat that you would probably find very helpful. It's written by a pediatrician and takes a very easy-going attitude about getting kids to eat.

Answer 5

It helps when you let children are involved in menu planning. Try to make it a game or give him things he can feed himself. Try letting him feed you and then ask him to feed himself. Be patient and hang in there.

Answer 6

Let the child feed himself.