My Toddler has become tough to handle...Plz Help

Hi Maya,

My DD is 21 months. She too is very stubborn and fussy eater. But she likes variety. So I always try giving her different kinds of foods. Here are some tricks I try on her. It might be useful to you.

-- Try different types of pasta. Sometimes just boiled with salt. Sometimes with different vegetables and sauces. Top it with cheese if she likes.
-- Vegetables cutletes with different kinds of vegetables which will vary in taste and colour.
-- Dosas and idlis with different vegetables
-- If she has any favorites like yogurt, cheese, jam, sauce, any vegetable etc then try to mix it with her lunch or dinner.
-- Try decorating her food. Cut it in different shapes, use colored vegetables or use toothepicks with fruit pieces and cheese cubes.
-- Try to change her feeding timings. It worked with my DD for early breakfast.

My DD too wants to eat on her own watching her fav cartoon or rhymes. I allow it as its easy to feed her.

About discipline, I wont be able to help you as Im still fighting with her for the same.

I hope this helps.

Nasim

 

DS is 26 month old and I have gone through these phases as well. He goes to Daycare and I believe every time there is a change in his daycare (like a teacher leaves or a new kid comes), DS's behavior changes. Now I am so tuned into it that every time he fusses to eat his dinner or misbehaves, my first reaction is to find out at Daycare what is going on.
With kids this age, shouting does not work and hitting provokes them to hit. I do believe you have to decipline them but if they are already miserable (due to changes at daycare or lack of sleep etc.), that's not the best time to discipline, you have to give in. Try finding out how she sleeps at Day care. Kids this age need about 11-12 hours sleep a day.
We gave DS food in front of laptop with specific songs for 3 months. That was the only way he would eat.. Then I gradually weaned him out of it (just told him laptop was broken). Then I started playing music on CD player whenever he would ask. Now he does not even ask for that..
With these little guys , you have to be patient and slowly they come around. There would be slip ups (due to changes in their life which no one understands but we as parents should understand).. we should have scope for slip ups (both for them and us ) in our discipline strategy.
With DS (Since he is above 2), in the morning I tell him, you do your breakfast else we are not going out. He is so keen on meeting his friends that he at least eats 4-5 table spoons of cereal which is good enough for me. I send cheerios/checks/fruit loops (Dry) in his daycare. When I am putting him down at daycare, I just sit him on a chair and put it in front of him.. He is so distracted he automatically starts eating..
I send mostly idlis and dosa for lunch we he can pick up and eat..also cut fruits , grapes, veggie sticks, veggie chips etc..
There are about 3-4 days in a month when he goes hungry and that's fine too.. I normally give him an extra handful of cheerios with milk in night and call it a day..
We should remember that these kids are reducing their need for food gradually and can not expect them to eat same amount that they used to eat at 15 or 18 months. As long as they eat healthy and enough food, we should think we are doing a good job.
Hope this helps..

 

Sometimes babies lose their appetite due to congestion that is present during and following a cold. Keep pushing fluids until they resolve.

It could also be that she is trying to assert her independence. Being too pushy will not help. Provide a variety of healthy snacks that don't involve elaborate cooking. Children's bodies are fairly self regulating and they wont really starve themselves.

Try to make a note of if she is eating a fairly balanced diet over a week or even a month. It is not very reasonable to expect that to happen every day. There may be a fruit only day, a cereal only day, a milk only day. As long as things more or less even out it should be okay.