Toddler won’t sit and eat

[Anonymous]

Let her sit in a chair, with a booster if she’ll deal w it. She’ll get up. Just say “we eat at the table” and don’t let her eat while she wanders. Set meal times, and don’t expect her to sit for more than 5 minutes. She’ll figure it out.

[Anonymous]

Of course she won't. You get her down and then follow her around with food.

Get a booster. Tell her she can eat while she is sitting at the table. If she wants down, fine, but she won't get food unless she's sitting at the table. Once she gets down, she's finished.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP if it makes you feel better my toddler is exactly the same. We gave up and let him "free range." For a while I was doing the spoon follow thing but most of the time I'm too lazy, I sit in one spot and let him come to ME. It takes longer but he's happy, not screaming, and eats a ton this way. He's only one and I'm hoping he will eventually grow out of it. How old is your daughter? I care more about him eating well than good "table manners" at this stage. Coincidentally there's less mess this way. Picking my battles.

Anonymous wrote:Hello all,

FTM here. My toddler refuses to sit longer than 3 mins to eat her dinner. She screams and wants out of her high chair and then explores all over. We are constantly walking behind her giving her spoons full of food. Is there anything we’re doing wrong or is there a way to get her to sit longer? We do wait to feed her when we know she’s hungry

Thank you for the feedback as it helps. This is OP. I didn’t mention it when I posted..our daughter is 14 months.

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I implemented some of the tips today. DD put on a fight today as usual and I didn’t give in and soon we realized she’d give up and start eating again. Although she put up multiple fights and I didn’t give in until I knew she was down and throwing food off the chair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP if it makes you feel better my toddler is exactly the same. We gave up and let him "free range." For a while I was doing the spoon follow thing but most of the time I'm too lazy, I sit in one spot and let him come to ME. It takes longer but he's happy, not screaming, and eats a ton this way. He's only one and I'm hoping he will eventually grow out of it. How old is your daughter? I care more about him eating well than good "table manners" at this stage. Coincidentally there's less mess this way. Picking my battles.

Anonymous wrote:Hello all,

FTM here. My toddler refuses to sit longer than 3 mins to eat her dinner. She screams and wants out of her high chair and then explores all over. We are constantly walking behind her giving her spoons full of food. Is there anything we’re doing wrong or is there a way to get her to sit longer? We do wait to feed her when we know she’s hungry

Thank you for the feedback as it helps. This is OP. I didn’t mention it when I posted..our daughter is 14 months.

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I implemented some of the tips today. DD put on a fight today as usual and I didn’t give in and soon we realized she’d give up and start eating again. Although she put up multiple fights and I didn’t give in until I knew she was down and throwing food off the chair.

This is all normal for that age. Get the booster with the steps and strap her in. Give her only a few bites at a time if she's throwing food. If she throws repeatedly, she's done, let her down and save it for later. Be consistent. Lots of kids fight the high chair at that age but some will do well with a booster.

[Anonymous]

I put my DD in a booster seat (with a lap belt) starting around 2.5. Our dining area is set up with chairs that are quite high, so I think that helps. She literally can't get down without help, so there is no wandering.

I agree on snacks only at snack time, no grazing. If another kid or mom offers her a snack at the park or whatever, I say OK and roll with it, but generally I don't allow free-range snacking.

At restaurants, our #1 rule is "stay in your seat" and we only give her dessert if she follows it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are you following her around with food?

Yes - if my toddler doesn't want to sit in the high chair - she doesn't get food. I would say holding this limit gets her climbing into her high chair at least 90% of the time.

Although as she's gotten older, depending on what is served I will let her sit on the floor or on the step stool I usually sit on (we don't have a dining table in our tiny tiny kitchen) - but messy food it's the high chair or no food. And all food must be eaten in the kitchen (or I take the food away.) And she must be seated while eating. (If she's not strapped into her high chair - this requires reminders - if she is unable to follow that instruction - then she goes into the high chair (or else no more food).

If you have room for a little toddler table that might be a good alternative to the high chair that kids like. (sadly i don't even have room for a toddler table.)

I don't enforce a certain amount of time in the high chair for eating. If she's done, she's done and it's ok to get up. (But then no more food.)

[Anonymous]

My best friend with 5 kids gave me two good pieces of advice on this

1) Don't expect her to sit the whole time, it's unrealistic. If you're willing to let her have a small toy at the table that can help keep her a little longer (something that's only for dinner time, we used a little Eric Carle magnetic scene set)
2) She uses the phrase "the food stays on the table but you don't have to" for toddlers. Food is eaten while sitting, no pressure on amount, but non-negotiable that it stays at the table.

[Anonymous]

Update Op?

[Anonymous]

Music worked initially. We'd play songs and sing along. Eventually we gave in and allowed screens.

I know. I know.

[Anonymous]

The way it goes in my house is: I cook for 20-30 minutes, we all sit down, say a blessing, the kids (2 and 4) eat for like 5 minutes, or they will get up and run laps around the house in between coming back to the table for bites, and my husband and I eat while all this craziness is going on. It's all over in like, 12 minutes. I then clean up but leave the kids plates out for them to nibble on until they go to bed.

It's not ideal, but the way I see it is, we're practicing. It's a lot more annoying when I am anxious, begging them to take bites, shoving spoons in their faces and worried that they're never going to learn to sit politely at a table -- of course they will. In the meantime, they're learning that we sit at the table and eat as a family for dinner.

In the meantime, I agree to switch to the high chair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hello all,

FTM here. My toddler refuses to sit longer than 3 mins to eat her dinner. She screams and wants out of her high chair and then explores all over. We are constantly walking behind her giving her spoons full of food. Is there anything we’re doing wrong or is there a way to get her to sit longer? We do wait to feed her when we know she’s hungry

Ridiculous! Booster with straps. Absolutely ludicrous to walk around feeding her. You are an adult and adults rule, not toddlers. God help you when she's a teenager!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The way it goes in my house is: I cook for 20-30 minutes, we all sit down, say a blessing, the kids (2 and 4) eat for like 5 minutes, or they will get up and run laps around the house in between coming back to the table for bites, and my husband and I eat while all this craziness is going on. It's all over in like, 12 minutes. I then clean up but leave the kids plates out for them to nibble on until they go to bed.

It's not ideal, but the way I see it is, we're practicing. It's a lot more annoying when I am anxious, begging them to take bites, shoving spoons in their faces and worried that they're never going to learn to sit politely at a table -- of course they will. In the meantime, they're learning that we sit at the table and eat as a family for dinner.

In the meantime, I agree to switch to the high chair.

You're the parents we all hate because you're the ones who think it's sooo cute when your brats run around in a restaurant.

[Anonymous]

We removed all restraints (stoke Tripp Trapp) but a booster works. If they want to get down, they get down. You stay seated and the food stays at the table. If they are hungry, they come back and get back up. They aren’t its fine. Some days they will exist on a berry and air, and some days it will be 3 dinners. It’s all fine and will even out.