Help with new 23mo dcb

[Kimskiddos]

Where to start. I enrolled a little boy 2 weeks ago, he turns 2 the first week of June and is a very big boy!

He has been at home with Mom or Dad for the first year and then a very young nanny, whom they did not let her drive with. So just him and her all day. Not sure she knew or understood child hood development or milestones because he has been treated like an infant as far as I can tell.

He came to me because the dr.s are concerned that he isn't speaking yet and needs to be around more kiddos. So my small group is just about perfect for him.

As I said he has been inf.a.n.t.i.z.ed (not a word but if fits. - word police didn't like it either. ) He is used to being carried around (he weighs over 40#!), doesn't really know how to play with toys but does fine once I show him how to play with something. Transitions are rough but he is starting to get over it quicker, yay! Happily he is a great napper. He is settling in pretty well and I am seeing a lot less whining and crying and more smiles and chuckles.

Where I need help is with his eating. He is still being spoon fed pureed foods at home and I can't get him to eat anything but graham crackers. This morning DCm was running a little late so she brought him in with his breakfast (no biggy for me). I kid you not it was a huge bowl of infant cereal! He wanted me to feed him. I gave him a spoon and helped him get a few bites and fed him a few bites but that is all. What can I do to help this little guy? I know I need to have a chat with dcp's and get them to stop with the spoon feeding and purees. Which I did mention at enrollement. I told them at meal times I basically I put food on a plate and the rest is up to him.

Help! Any advice, words or handouts would be hugely appreciated.

[Leigh]

Where to start. I enrolled a little boy 2 weeks ago, he turns 2 the first week of June and is a very big boy!

He has been at home with Mom or Dad for the first year and then a very young nanny, whom they did not let her drive with. So just him and her all day. Not sure she knew or understood child hood development or milestones because he has been treated like an infant as far as I can tell.

He came to me because the dr.s are concerned that he isn't speaking yet and needs to be around more kiddos. So my small group is just about perfect for him.

As I said he has been inf.a.n.t.i.z.ed (not a word but if fits. - word police didn't like it either. ) He is used to being carried around (he weighs over 40#!), doesn't really know how to play with toys but does fine once I show him how to play with something. Transitions are rough but he is starting to get over it quicker, yay! Happily he is a great napper. He is settling in pretty well and I am seeing a lot less whining and crying and more smiles and chuckles.

Where I need help is with his eating. He is still being spoon fed pureed foods at home and I can't get him to eat anything but graham crackers. This morning DCm was running a little late so she brought him in with his breakfast (no biggy for me). I kid you not it was a huge bowl of infant cereal! He wanted me to feed him. I gave him a spoon and helped him get a few bites and fed him a few bites but that is all. What can I do to help this little guy? I know I need to have a chat with dcp's and get them to stop with the spoon feeding and purees. Which I did mention at enrollement. I told them at meal times I basically I put food on a plate and the rest is up to him.

Help! Any advice, words or handouts would be hugely appreciated.

I recently started a kid just like this. Within 3 weeks, he is holding his own sippy cup (was being bottle fed and NEVER held his own-they still held him like a 2 month old to feed him), feeding himself age appropriate foods, and starting to act his age. I don't care what the parents do at home, I am NOT holding a perfectly capable 2 year old's drink for him. The kid will adjust-just make sure that YOU expect him to. After a few days of showing him how to take care of things himself, he'll probably catch on.

[Shell]

I recently started a kid just like this. Within 3 weeks, he is holding his own sippy cup (was being bottle fed and NEVER held his own-they still held him like a 2 month old to feed him), feeding himself age appropriate foods, and starting to act his age. I don't care what the parents do at home, I am NOT holding a perfectly capable 2 year old's drink for him. The kid will adjust-just make sure that YOU expect him to. After a few days of showing him how to take care of things himself, he'll probably catch on.

[Heidi]

Do you have other kids close to that age there?

If so, invite mom to come over for snack once. Make sure to introduce the other kids with their ages. "This is Jimmy. He's a month younger than DCB", and "This is Laura, she's 4". Maybe mom will be shocked to see other kids that age self-feeding. Sometimes, parents just don't know what's typical.

I was looking for a developmental checklist for you, but couldn't find one that mentions self-feeding. If I find one, I will link it.

http://www.fdhkids.com/developmental_milestones/feeding_development.html

[Hollydawn]

As long as the purees aren't being fed for a sensory issue or feeding issue I would just slowly transition him to table food.

I wouldn't necessarily just plop a plate down in front of him like I would another almost two year old, only because if he has no experience I would worry about choking. I would start with small soft pieces of food (letting him pick up) assist occasionally if needed. From there I would assume he would be able to handle bigger/chewer pieces in the same sort of time frame that a beginning eater would.

[MarinaVanessa]

I recently started a kid just like this. Within 3 weeks, he is holding his own sippy cup (was being bottle fed and NEVER held his own-they still held him like a 2 month old to feed him), feeding himself age appropriate foods, and starting to act his age. I don't care what the parents do at home, I am NOT holding a perfectly capable 2 year old's drink for him. The kid will adjust-just make sure that YOU expect him to. After a few days of showing him how to take care of things himself, he'll probably catch on.

Just be patient with him and transition away from doing things for him until he's doing them on his own. Try giving him his own spoon so that he can attempt to feed himself and spoon feed him his big meals like breakfast and lunch but offer soft foods (like boiled/steamed veggies, banana slices, etc) that can still be finger-foods for snacks and don't provide help with these. This way you'll know he's eating something but if he doesn't eat much during snack because he doesn't feed himself then it's not a big deal.

Once he's better at feeding himself finger foods you can start enforcing eating with utensils more. Unfortunately because he was treated like an infant you'l need to transition him into feeding himself and doing everything else just like you would an infant. He just needs to learn how.

[Kimskiddos]

Thanks guys, y'all are all saying the things that I already knew and have been doing. I know it will take him some time.

Don't think there are sensory issues, dcm says he loves pizza and cereal bars.

Just be patient with him and transition away from doing things for him until he's doing them on his own. Try giving him his own spoon so that he can attempt to feed himself and spoon feed him his big meals like breakfast and lunch but offer soft foods (like boiled/steamed veggies, banana slices, etc) that can still be finger-foods for snacks and don't provide help with these. This way you'll know he's eating something but if he doesn't eat much during snack because he doesn't feed himself then it's not a big deal.

Once he's better at feeding himself finger foods you can start enforcing eating with utensils more. Unfortunately because he was treated like an infant you'l need to transition him into feeding himself and doing everything else just like you would an infant. He just needs to learn how.

Thanks for the insight! I was looking at it as he's nearly 2yo he should be doing these things. Forgot he need to still needs be taught. Just like with him playing with toys.

[Kimskiddos]

Forgot to add I have a 27mo and a couple of nearly 4yos.

He also doesn't really let me feed him much. Think he is going to be one of the picky eaters and I will just have to figure out what he will eat, once he gets the hang of it, of course.

Thanks again!

[CraftyMom]

Thanks guys, y'all are all saying the things that I already knew and have been doing. I know it will take him some time.

Don't think there are sensory issues, dcm says he loves pizza and cereal bars.

Do they puree his food? Or just give him baby food

[SignMeUp]

Forgot to add I have a 27mo and a couple of nearly 4yos.

He also doesn't really let me feed him much. Think he is going to be one of the picky eaters and I will just have to figure out what he will eat, once he gets the hang of it, of course.

Thanks again!

I had a dcb somewhat like this a few years ago. Exclusively BF until 1 year of age He would gag and throw up just looking at regular food, so it was really tough. He was very bright, very verbal, but didn't eat food
Because of the gag issue, I made a little table extension so that he was "with" the other kids, but not quite at the same table. I wanted him to have the social experience, and the role models
Then I began feeding him myself as if he was a baby. Initially I mushed up his food, so the texture was between baby food and regular. Nothing looked yummy to this little guy. But if I could get a bite or two in, he almost always liked the taste and would take the spoon and take over feeding himself happyface
It took a while to figure out what would work for him, but once I lit on that method, things progressed rapidly. His parents couldn't believe it, the day I told them he ate broccoli ::