Meal Time WWYD

[Unregistered]

Dcg never eats her food. She plays with it, then throws it on the floor within two minutes. Once she throws, I promptly remove plate, wipe her off, and scoot her back away from the table so she can’t reach it. I gnome her and move forward with lunch. She doesn’t care...AT ALL. She sits there distracting the other kids from eating, nothing more. She’s not upset, just loud and encourages the other kids to act out. I don’t want to remove her from the table because then she’ll think throwing food is rewarded. I’m trying to bore her into having good manners but it’s not working and creating a bigger problem. If she were throwing a fit, I’d take her to bed. This isn’t the case. Thoughts?

[storybookending]

Dcg never eats her food. She plays with it, then throws it on the floor within two minutes. Once she throws, I promptly remove plate, wipe her off, and scoot her back away from the table so she can’t reach it. I gnome her and move forward with lunch. She doesn’t care...AT ALL. She sits there distracting the other kids from eating, nothing more. She’s not upset, just loud and encourages the other kids to act out. I don’t want to remove her from the table because then she’ll think throwing food is rewarded. I’m trying to bore her into having good manners but it’s not working and creating a bigger problem. If she were throwing a fit, I’d take her to bed. This isn’t the case. Thoughts?

How old is DCG? What time is lunch? What other meals do you serve, breakfast, snack etc? What times are they? Does she do this at all meals?

[Unregistered]

11.5 months old

I serve:
Breakfast 8:00
Bottle 11:00
Lunch 11:30
Bottle 3:30
PM snack 4:00

She does it at every meal. She MIGHT occasionally taste something but then throws it.

I have two other babies her age or younger and they eat “real food” just fine!

[MomBoss]

Does she drink the bottle? How much? Maybe she is getting full from the bottle.

[storybookending]

11.5 months old

I serve:
Breakfast 8:00
Bottle 11:00
Lunch 11:30
Bottle 3:30
PM snack 4:00

She does it at every meal. She MIGHT occasionally taste something but then throws it.

I have two other babies her age or younger and they eat “real food” just fine!

Some kids it just takes longer to grasp table food. I would try the bottles after the meals and see if that helps.

[Unregistered]

Does she drink the bottle? How much? Maybe she is getting full from the bottle.

She does drink the bottle (5-6 oz). The other young ones do too though and still love to eat at meal times. Should I decrease her bottle sizes? She has never really eaten much of anything I’ve given her to eat so I’ve learned to accept that, along with her parents who have the same experience with her at home. She was eating some jarred foods but I discontinued serving those a while ago and it hasn’t been an issue for the others. They prefer the “big kid” food.

The bigger question I’m looking for help with is what should I do to encourage wanted mealtime behavior? Ignoring it isn’t changing a thing because she gets the reaction she’s looking for from the other kids when she’s being loud. If I hush her, she laughs at me...and she’s so darn cute! I make a huge spectacle when I get a wanted behavior from her too. She just doesn’t care about eating, so maybe I won’t get any results from her until she does?

[daycarediva]

Switch the bottles to after meals. Give her one bite of each component on her tray, no plate, nothing more until she eats them. If she acts crazy or distracts the group, I would move her out of the way (but still within eyesight) and ignore her behavior. She would get ZERO attention for it.

At that age, she should be on mostly food, seeing as how many parents wean off formula/bm at a year.

How does she eat at home? are they feeding her?

[storybookending]

She does drink the bottle (5-6 oz). The other young ones do too though and still love to eat at meal times. Should I decrease her bottle sizes? She has never really eaten much of anything I’ve given her to eat so I’ve learned to accept that, along with her parents who have the same experience with her at home. She was eating some jarred foods but I discontinued serving those a while ago and it hasn’t been an issue for the others. They prefer the “big kid” food.

The bigger question I’m looking for help with is what should I do to encourage wanted mealtime behavior? Ignoring it isn’t changing a thing because she gets the reaction she’s looking for from the other kids when she’s being loud. If I hush her, she laughs at me...and she’s so darn cute! I make a huge spectacle when I get a wanted behavior from her too. She just doesn’t care about eating, so maybe I won’t get any results from her until she does?

I wouldn’t worry about her not eating too much. She should be getting all the calories and nutrients she needs from the formula still. Sometimes it just takes them longer to garnish and interest in table foods. I’m assuming she just started them within the last few months? Under one is a little harder to associate good manners and expected behavior. I’m not saying they can’t learn that young but they can’t yet associate right from wrong at that young of an age. Just rinse and repeat and she’ll get the hang of it eventually.

[Unregistered]

Some kids it just takes longer to grasp table food. I would try the bottles after the meals and see if that helps.

Good idea! I’ll try switching it around. I originally scheduled it this way because I knew babies are supposed to get most nutrients from formula/breast milk but since they are nearing age one, it shouldn’t matter as much. Thanks!

[Unregistered]

Switch the bottles to after meals. Give her one bite of each component on her tray, no plate, nothing more until she eats them. If she acts crazy or distracts the group, I would move her out of the way (but still within eyesight) and ignore her behavior. She would get ZERO attention for it.

At that age, she should be on mostly food, seeing as how many parents wean off formula/bm at a year.

How does she eat at home? are they feeding her?

Thanks! She eats exactly the same way at home. They tell me they put things in front of her and she doesn’t eat it. Her mother wants to switch her to whole milk right at one which is why I’m getting concerned. This has been ongoing for four months. I’ve been very patient but we are running out of time haha!

I already put the food components in front of her, just as you suggest. Are you saying you wouldn’t even give the bottle unless she’s eaten her food? I like the idea of moving her away from the group. I can just move her chair with her strapped in so she can’t play and isn’t “rewarded” by getting down but still can’t distract. 👍🏼

[Unregistered]

Oh I just realized in my original post I said “remove plate”. That was an error. I rarely put a plate in front of her. I do for some of my good eaters. Just food placed directly on the table for her. I push the food away from her when she throws it.

[hwichlaz]

I think she's already full.

I'd feed the bottle AFTER lunch.

[hwichlaz]

For us, nap time is after lunch, so when child does this I just say..."Oh, you're done with lunch, time for bed. " and I put them to bed.

[Unregistered]

Oh I just realized in my original post I said “remove plate”. That was an error. I rarely put a plate in front of her. I do for some of my good eaters. Just food placed directly on the table for her. I push the food away from her when she throws it.

Also, “gnome” in the original post should say “ignore”...I should really proofread more! 😂😂😂

[Mom2Two]

I'm wondering if I would consider leaving the table as reward. I'm wondering how others on here would weigh in on that.

All my children are allowed to leave after they are done. Sometimes slower (like the last one left at the table) eaters are hurried along with a warning that the meal is almost over so they can get it in quick if they want to.