my 29 month old has never been interested in food. at one point our pediatrician said that i need to help get food in her and we have been feeding her ever since. i feel that it is time that she feed herself. meals have always been a struggle with her. she just isn't interested in eating. at this point the reason i am still feeding her is because when she doesn't eat she gets very cranky. i think i am ready to give up control and teach her to feed herself. by the way, she can use a fork, she is just very slow. any advice?
have you tried different types of food (ie. Mac & Cheese, spaghetti w/butter)? sometimes finger food maybe more fun for her.
She may be acting up a little bit more since there's a new born in the family. She's no longer the "center of attention".
Hopefully she'll become more interested in eating as she grows older. Good luck and having fun with both kids.
let her use her fork and be patient while she eats. does she get cranky while she's feeding herself or when you are feeding her?
rah
is your daughter low on weight? If not I would just give her her food and let her feed herself. You say she can use a fork, but she is just slow. She will be slower then an adult, but most kids when they are first learing how to use utenstils are pretty slow. And unless she gets practice she wont get any faster. She is 2 1/2, totally ready to be eating on her own. She might not eat as much the first few days, but soon she would get the hang of it. I wonder if your pediatrician really wanted you to feed her, or let her eat then see if you could say "ok mommy helps you with 3 more bites".
My daughter was the same and what I did was have her feed herself the entire meal time and at the very end, I fed her the rest. Don't start out feeding her or she'll never learn. This may mean she spends an hour eating, but it's so much better than having to spoon-feed a 3 year old. It's time she does it on her own.
Also, consider the type of food you are giving her, maybe throw in some more fun stuff. Maybe not so nutritious, but if she's eating manly proteins, she won't FEEL hungry.
first, limit the liquids like milk/juice that may be filling her up. Go to small cups if she is getting large cups now. Give her finger foods in a bowl like dry cereal, thawed peas, pasta or any favorite with a spoon and then busy yourself with something else. DO NOT hover or she will wait for you to jump in and feed her. DO NOT give a cup of milk within reach, but if she asks, let her have the occasional drink until done. She should be hungrier at following meals. Some kids - and adults just eat slower, but you should be able to accomplish other tasks for yourself while your daughter is slowly (sometimes painfully for the rest of us) finishing her meal. You could also give her very little of her meal first and other sides only after she finished the primary focus of the meal - when you are done, she is done and that is it! She will be hungry if her body isn't getting enough food.
