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What to do?

13 replies

LilRedWG · 28/06/2007 15:04

DD is 13 months and has decided that she doesn't like anything on her highchair tray.

Example one - Drinking:
DD drinks out of cup and then immediately drops it on the floor. I pick up and put on her highchair tray and she immediately pushes onto the floor. So, I'm now either leaving it on the floor or putting it near me, out of her reach until she wants another drink and reaches for it and it starts all over again.

Example two - Eating Chicken:
If I give it her as finger food she will either, a) try and shove the whole lot in and then gag, spit it out and throw it on the floor, or b) take a bite and then throw the remainder on the floor. If I give it to her as a bite sized piece on a fork, which she loves, she puts it in her mouth and then drops the fork over the side of the tray.

I'm trying to ignore the dropping and encourage her to give me whatever she has in her hand before it goes over the side but it's becoming a game. DH says "no" to her and puts it back on the tray and she also thinks this is a game.

The reason it is frustrating is that she used to love to feed herself and have food on her tray to chose from.

I'm tempted to just leave anything she throws on the floor and hope that she'll learn that she soon runs out of food. BUT, I don't want her to go hungry. I know she's just a baby and that it's a phase, but it's driving me to distraction!

So.. oh wise MNers.. please advise me.

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wishingfourgotone · 28/06/2007 15:10

my dd started this so id put her plate cup on the floor she now eats nicely in her highchair

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LilRedWG · 28/06/2007 15:11

Not sure what you mean. Can you clarify please? Did you put your DD on the floor with the food or remove the food from her?

Sorry for being dim.

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wishingfourgotone · 28/06/2007 15:12

sorry i would sit her on floor with her plate and cup to eat

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LilianGish · 28/06/2007 15:16

She thinks it's a great game! I would stop picking things up and really praise her every time she eats something properly.

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LilRedWG · 28/06/2007 15:16

May try that, thanks. How long did it take for your DD?

She can drop it and pick it up again and I can just let her get on with it I guess.

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LilRedWG · 28/06/2007 15:17

I know Lilian, but I don't want the poor child to starve and that's what'll happen - she's even more stubborn than I am.

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wishingfourgotone · 28/06/2007 15:21

it was exactly as the other poster said it stopped being a game as if it all started down there i wasnt keep fetching it off the floor, i do have tiled floor where she sits it may be different if i had carpet!

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jackie2kids · 28/06/2007 15:23

DD was really naughty in her high chair so switched to booster seat at the table.

Much better.

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nails · 28/06/2007 15:25

DD who is also 13 months sits at a picnic table (child's one from argos) with ds to eat her dinner. If she's dropped her cup she can just bend down or get on the floor, retrive it and get return to her seat.

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LilianGish · 28/06/2007 15:25

No child ever starved themselves! I know what you mean about them being stubborn though. My dd was terrible with food - dropping things out of highchair, seemingly refusing to eat - I spent hours worrying about it (although she was never underweight!). With ds just ignored it all - he was exactly the same - much less stressful for me and same result (both are normal weight and height) sometimes they eat a lot sometimes they don't. You have my sympathy though - those phases are infuriating (they seem to last forever while you're in one and then afterwards you look back, as I did today when I saw your thread, and think "Oh I remember dd/ds used to do that")

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Shoshable · 28/06/2007 15:32

Can you sit her atthe table with you, she might be geting to big fo rthe high chair, I take mune out and into booster seats at the table so they are really part of the meal, some times they play these games cos they are bored.

cut up to bite size pieces and give her the fork, if she drops it (which isnt as easy sat up at the table, carry on eating your own meal, count to twenty, pick it up without looking at her and put it on the table within her reach, she will soon get the idea that your not going to play the game and Good luck!

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Acinonyx · 28/06/2007 15:47

At around 12 mo dd started using a toddler chair and table - actually her high chair was the kind that comes apart to make a chair and table. So then she was responsible for picking up her own stuff. The food and cups on the floor thing has come and gone in phases I'm afraid right up to now - nearly 2 yrs. Food on the floor (usually) goes in the bin.

I have also done as a pp and put her plate and cup on the floor to start with. Only problem then is keeping the cats off.

We have also used a plastic booster chair at the table which she loved - actually eating with us does seem to inhibit food flinging but unfortunately our schedules don't allow for this routinely. Jill

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LilRedWG · 28/06/2007 20:27

Many thanks all! I'll talk through with DH and decide on a course of action. Unfortunately, we're in the process of decorating at the moment and the dining table is in parts all over the house. Roll on two weeks time (when it's all done )

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