Meal Time Protocol for 18 Month Old

I don't think there is anything wrong with grazing, as long as what he is grazing on is healthy. Serve the things he would get at mealtime- fruits, veggies, meat, whole grains,cheese, and he will be getting all his nutrients. I would try to stand away from "kid food" as much as possible, you want him to learn to eat what you are eating.
My daughter went through this too. She would eat a little and then say, "all done". Since family meal time is important to me, I would give her something else to do ( small toy or something) to get her to stay in there a little longer, but if she got too fussy, I'd remove her. To me, it's not worth the battle. I think at this age they are just too busy to eat, lol. If there's not a growth or weight gain issue, I'd relax. Good luck momma!

Meal time is meal time. You are setting the standard that he can get up. Put him in the chari and set a timer. He has to sit for the specified time. He eats what you eat. Your Doctor is right..he will eat when he is hungry. Watch milk and snacks in the afternoon so he is not filling up.

Our daughter was just like that...now she stays at the table and we eat together and she eats everything we put there. Do not give in! Family meal time is crucial

maybe he is ready for a booster chair so that he can sit at the table. That should help a little. Both of my girls, that started out as great eaters,when switched to solids, ended up being horrible eaters by 18mos. I think it's just a phase kids go through. Some kids are just great eaters all of the time. Others, like ours, are not. You can't force them to eat. My oldest was never a snacker, however, my three year old LOVES to graze all day if I let her. I make her what she will eat, at meal time, so I know that she is eating enough food and not just goldfish & cheez its. :) Our rule now is if you finish all of your breakfast you can have a snack, if you don't then you have to wait until lunch to eat again. Trust me this is hard and the whining is unbelievable, but if you stick to your guns it really does work. We do the same thing with lunch and dinner. No dessert if you don't eat dinner. There are times when she sits there for an hour because she is trying to bargin with me about how much she HAS to eat in order to get a snack. Daddy gives in at dinner and tells her things like if you eat three more bites you can be done and have dessert. Drives me crazy, but after an hour of her sitting at the table you get desparate! lol I would try the booster on a regular chair first, if that doesn't work then start making him what you know he will eat. Also, by two my oldest didn't even want to be in a booster chair, she would kneel on the chair and eat that way. It worked, she ate, and she felt like a big girl. Worked great when we went out to eat as well. We would go out to breakfast and she would kneel in the booth and would eat so much better than when she we had her sit in high chair or booster. My oldest is now six (almost 7) and she is still a picky eater but is a great eater when it's something she likes. Good luck!

Our 20 month old daughter sounds very similar to your son. We determined that during any meals when we are eating together she must remain in her high chair until everyone at the table is done eating. Sometimes she eats, sometimes she doesn't, but she knows she's not able to get down from her highchair until we are all done. She's not always a fan of this routine, and can get pretty frustrated at times...but I am noticing that she seems to be getting used to the routine. Typically we try having her eat what we eat, but usually have a back up of her favorite ready to go if she won't touch our food. Our goal is to have her comfortable with set meal times so once she's out of the highchair and more independent in a booster seat or regular chair she'll be used to the idea that we eat as a family and we remain at the table until everyone is done eating. We'll see if it works!

My daughter refuses to sit in her highchair. This is my husband's fault though because he decided to let her eat breakfast and lunch at the table rather than in her chair so she only wants to eat at the table. The problem is that she can easily get down to "go play". I have had to work with her to get her to eat at dinner time. She does have days she eats very little but I look at the whole day to decide if she has had enough. I do give her snacks because I do want her to get the nutrition she needs. As another poster mentioned, I watch how much she is given to drink during the day so she is not filling up on milk or water or juice. But one thing you want to do is have him sit to eat. My others did the same thing as toddlers and no problem getting them to sit down to eat now. Since you have been letting him go play while you eat, you have to work to reverse this so he knows that it is time to eat and you play after. If is possible, just takes time.
One thing my daughter likes to do is sit in her little wicker chair and eat. We bring it into the kitchen when she does this and she eats fine.

There are some good suggestions around here.
I have a similar problem with my daughter, and for "grazing" I have her sandwich cut into 6 pieces, or mac n cheese (don't bother heating it up! add peas) and I will give it to her randomly. Offer the bites while they're doing something else, and stop the snacks at least an hour before dinner. Our rule is she has to sit down most of the time for lunch, always for dinner. she has to have some bites, and stay with us for at least 15 minutes of dinner. We do a "one last bite" which I honor, getting her down as soon as she eats it. Try to not let him fill up on milk too, but I wouldn't say I limit it excessively, just out of reach and redirect.

My boy is the same age and at dinner he just tears up his food but doesn't eat. If I don't let him graze, just give him meals and don't let him drink all day he will eat. So try limiting his foods to meals and snack if he looks done take extra food away. And try not to keep refilling his cup.

I had the exact same question a couple months ago, here is a link to the discussion...
http://www.mamapedia.com/questions/4025999536517349377

There were 35 replies!!!

An 18 month old probably doesn't want to sit through your entire meal. But certainly he can learn to sit in his high chair for the start of the meal. Here is what I would do:

1)Get a kitchen timer. Show your son and set it for 5 minutes. Tell him that when it is dinner time, he will be in his chair until the timer goes off, then he can go play, but mommy and daddy are still eating.Gradually increase the time you set the timer for and your son's time at the table with you as he gets used to it or doesn't seem done.

At first he will probably fight this- but I would not give in. He is just starting the age where he will CONSTANTLY test you on things. Just because he is done and wants mommy to play doesn't mean you should not get to finish dinner! Just repeat the drill gently over and over and over. He'll get it eventually- he just wants to try and be the boss :)

2)I agree with your doctor- he will eat when he is hungry. But don't let him graze on juice and crackers, etc. all afternoon and then wonder why he won't eat dinner. At dinner give him VERY SMALL portions of what you are eating. I mean, just a bite or two. Encourage him to try each thing or eat the things you know he likes, but other than that, don't sweat it.

It is your job to give him enough food to taste each thing- and ask for more of what he likes, not a lot of each thing. A lot of moms give their kids too much and then worry they don't eat. Just a bite or two at a time is plenty to start with.

3)When the timer goes off, don't push him if he hasn't cleaned his plate. He is still little and you want this to always be a positive thing- sitting down with mommy and daddy at the table is fun!

Take him down and set him up to play with something- you could even have a special toy he really likes that he only gets to play with after dinner.

If he whines or grabs your hand, just keep gently disengaging him and telling him that mommy needs to finish her dinner too. You can also give him the option of getting BACK in the chair and joining you until the timer goes off again! By this time, he may be bored with playing and that might appeal to him.

Also, arrange some special 'daddy' play time after daddy finishes dinner. Just be sure to always tell your son "Daddy will come and play with you as soon as he is done eating, but only if you can play with your blocks for a few minutes by yourself". Remember to keep the time frames SHORT- a few minutes is a long time to your little guy!

The important thing here is to get him used to the idea that the family sits at the table, everyone has a plate, everyone eats some of the food.

You are training him early in a good habit that will not only last a lifetime- but also, trust me, make your life easier at home, in restaurants and at other people's houses for years to come!

This is what we did with my son- I got this advice from a mom I knew who had the best-behaved little kids I had ever met. It really worked for her and for us as well.

When my son was a toddler, he would sit in his high chair on his own for an hour looking at board books. Everyone couldn't believe how 'self-soothing' he was. He was always so good in restaurants - we could take him anywhere and always got so many nice comments about how good he was in public! (not to say he didn't have his moments or throw tantrums, but all little kids do!)

As my friend told me about her kids being good at the table "We just never let them learn it was ok to be bad and throw sugar packets or food around!"
Good luck!!