Hi

Can anyone help with ideas of how to encourage a 22 month old to eat!!

My little one will no longer eat pasta or rice dishes or really anything except yogurt and most fruit if it is mashed up. I know it is not a problem with chewing as she will eat a lump of cheese or a cake/biscuit but for some reason seems to have gone off everything she used to like.

Hi wendy, My daughter is 21 months old and also has these phases. it is just a phase they go through. The worst thing you can do though is make a fuss about it. When emily jade refuses to eat i just say 'ok thats fine but you stay seated at the table until mummy and daddy have finished eating' this usually encourages her to copy us and eat more but if not she is usually very hungry by the next mealtime and eats it all.
If you are at all concerned about this though then have a chat to your health visitor.
Hope this helps, Lynsey

Hi Wendy,

I am a mum of 4 expecting no. 5 and i have been through this also.

Bothmy younger daughters have been through phases of funny eating that have lasted for about 18 mths- 2 yrs.
It used to get me really stressed as i would always make a point of ensuring that we all ate a good diet and will prepare fresh meals but my daughter at around about the 18 mth- 2 yr age stopped eating so well.

I agree with Lynsey that i don't let them leave the table until we have all finished and i will try to make them sit and atleast eat somethings even if it just a few mouthfulls.

I have also refused to give them puddings biscuits and sweeties if they are not going to eat proper meals.

It is so stressful though as food can cause a big worry for parents.

I think you should just try to give your ittle one the things that she will eat for breakfast and lunch as those things are the things that she needs in her diet anyway, the fruit cheese etc, and then just try to persevere with the evening meals.

They will not starve themselves, atleast thats what the health visitor told me!!!!!

It may be also which is something i looked at myself afterw watching something on tv was that whether the portions i was giving were maybe too big, as a mum i ve always wanted to see all the kids eat well and though actually they still only have small tummies really, i probably am expecting them to eat too much.

Good Luck

Cassie