daughter on hunger strike!

[sunglasses]

my 16 month old dd has recently given up eating any meals. she was sick in the night two weeks ago but seemed fine the next day. no temperature etc but a bit snotty. she now has a cough and coldands I can tell she is under the weather, however she will eat snacks- yogurt, bananas, toast, grapes and drink milk and water but refuses to eat meals even sandwiches(she normally loves cheese). I have tried home cooked food, jars, finger food, everything but now she wont even have one mouthfull. just looks and says no. The annoying thing is on the two days a week she goes to nursery they reckon she eats everything- hot meals and pudding, sandwiches the lot. Very frustrating. Do you think she is ill or just playing me up and i need some suggestions for best way to tackle the problem before I start losing my cool!!!

[twelvedaysofchristmas]

No doubt I will be told it is completely the wrong thing to do, but if she eats everything at nursery, then if it was me, I would just refuse to give her the snacks.

Presumably at nursury they don't offer anything but the stuff she's eating?

She'll no doubt kick off, but I'm a firm believer in, "They'll eat if they're really hungry." It's not like you're trying her on new foods.

[sunglasses]

Yes I think that is worth a try. Was also wondering whether she was bored with the food on offer. Any ideas for meals from anyone would be appreciated. Especially something we could both eat for lunch. I tend to make most of her meals seperately from mine- i.e pasta with veg/tuna and either cheese or tomato sauce or fish fingers and mash but she has turned her nose up at both recently. if I have time I make shepherds pie or lasagne for evening meal that we can all eat, although she eats earlier than we do so it means cooking it in afternoon and I dont always have time. there is just the two of us for lunch most days so something quick and nutritious for both of us would be good. Any suggestions??

[Tinker]

Don't see the problem with grazing as long as the snacks are healthy. Of course, I'm saying this because my 18 month old has given up of the concept of meals.

[DizzyBinterWonderland]

can you get her to help you make lunch? have you tried things like making sandwiches in shapes and she choose the cutter shape, i mean using biscuit cutters? might sound naff but seems to work for a lot of people, getting the child to help with making the food. what about her choosing things in the supermarket with you? could she choose a new fruit and a new vegetable or something like that?

[Tinker]

Um, I think op says she's 16 months old.

[DizzyBinterWonderland]

yes i read that. my friends 14 month old helps her make lunch, that's why i thought it was a good idea. it's helped him show an interest in meal times. i only mean like putting bread on top of sandwich, helping push the cutter etc. i'm not talking making cakes!

[Tinker]

[sunglasses]

I really dont think she is at the age where she would be able to choose things to eat in the supermarket and then be convinced to eat them some time later. i am not too worried about the grazing as at least its healthy stuff on the whole, its just that I dont want that to replace meal times altogether as she used to be such a good eater

[twelvedaysofchristmas]

Come to think about it, I'm sure MIL said DH's sister didn't like to eat "on her own" when she was very little. When MIL did lunch (like you suggest) and sat down with her and with the same food, she was fine. It was a social, rather than a food thing.

Perhaps in nursery she sits with other kids and it's more sociable?

[sunglasses]

Yes will try the eating together. have moved her high chair up against the big table to see if that makes any difference. Fingers crossed.

[twelvedaysofchristmas]

How did you get on with lunch today? Or was she at nursery?