Picky Eater Out of No Where!! UGH

Your son is entering an extremely normal phase. He's probably not growing fast right now, and his appetite will wane until he starts a new growth spurt. Meanwhile, his tummy only holds about ONE TABLESPOON of food per meal per year. Many of his needed calories are still coming from formula and milk.

His taste buds have also become extremely sensitive – scientists believe this is a natural development in humans that helps prevent toddlers from poisoning themselves (we didn't always have preservatives and refrigerators, and many plants are toxic). He has fallen back on a few 'safe' foods that he likes and digests well. This can be an excruciatingly long stage for parents, but most kids emerge by four, at the latest, and begin eating a wider range of foods again. A multivitamin for the next few years is probably a good idea.

You'll do well to NOT introduce him to high-fat, high-sugar, and artificially-enhanced foods right now. It will be tempting, but those foods can actually reduce his interest in natural, healthy foods, and you'll stuggle with the consequences for years. Do give him tiny tastes of a variety of foods. Some he will eventually accept, some he'll keep rejecting until he comes through this phase. He can't help that – he can't make himself like foods that disgust him.

And the throwing, ah, yes. That's a developmental stage of its own, though it usually coordinates 'nicely' with high chairs and rejected foods. But almost all children go through the overhand throwing stage (and this often includes overhand hitting with hands or long toys), which is making important eye-hand-spatial-timing connections in your little guy's brain and body. He'll probably do it a lot for the coming year. It's a developmental 'compulsion,' like crawling or walking. Give him plenty of throwing practice during play periods to help him with the needed brain connections.

Deal with it as a practical reality, and ideally with a touch of humor and creativity. I've known parents who put a tarp under the high chair at mealtime. Or let the dog clean up afterward. Or put a few soft toys on the high chair tray, and a box or basket for the child to use for target practice. Try giving him only one or two bites of food at a time, and recognize that he'll be full much sooner that your brain is okay with.

Many littles do well grazing through the day. It's much easier to get a bite or two of fruit, omelet, toast and peanut butter, or a smoothie into a child who's happy and active and feeling momentarily peckish than a restless baby writhing and throwing at the table.

You can let him down to play when he stops eating and starts throwing. He'll learn table manners as he becomes able – I know quite a few kids who's parents gradually expected more and more of them as table companions, and by the time they're 4 or 5, they are at least as civilized as kids who've been forced to sit at table from infancy.

Not to worry. It's normal. Throwing food on the floor is more fun than just about anything. (Try it.) And not eating the food on his tray gets him a lot of attention! What fun! Not that he's being deliberately ugly. This is just something babies do.

Keep your cool! Food is for eating, not for throwing. If he were really hungry, he'd be eating. So when he's throwing, mealtime can be over. Just clean up the mess and set him down. Don't try offering him other foods. Just end the meal. Later on, you can offer a snack if you want to.

You might try planning your son's meals for the moment with three or four "courses." If he eats even one bite of each one, you've gotten a little good food in him.

Babies don't read the baby books, but millions of them have survived this stage healthy and happy. Keep your sense of humor, and try to take some pictures if he's cute about being messy. This is a little annoying, I grant you, but it won't last as long if you don't make a huge deal out of it.

I think this is a very normal "stage."
However, the way you handle it will determine his future eating habits. Continue to offer him healthy foods, no junk, even if you're afraid that is all he'll eat. Sometimes I think mom's will fear that the child is going to go hungry and offer them only what they know the child will definately eat. I think this can be the start of bad eating habits. Experts say you need to offer a child a new food up to 15 times before they decide if they like it or not. So keep offering the healthy foods. I would also make sure he's only getting 24 oz of milk, and no more. Anything else should be water. Then I also think you should cut out the snacks. If he's not eating his meals, he's filling up on milk and snacks and that's why he's not hungry at meal time.
Lastly, I would nip the throwing in the bud by expressing disapproval everytime he throws his food on the floor. Even if he doesn't want to eat it, he needs to learn not to throw his food. If he starts throwing it, immediately remove the tray (kinda like a timeout), then after a minute give the tray back. If he throws the food again, remove the tray and don't give it back. It won't take him long to learn not to throw it.
I know how frustrating this age can be, I went thru it every year for 3 years so by the end of the 3rd child going thru this stage I had it mastered!!
Best wishes to you and your lil' one!

I am going through the same thing with my son (now 18 months)... Some days he eats like a bird and there's only a handful of things I KNOW he'll eat....... (he used to eat blueberry waffles in the morning, but now it's pita bread w/ melted cheddar...) Lunch used to be anything, but now it's chicken nuggets, apple sauce, etc... and dinner..........used to be whatever we're eating... Now, I can only count on him taking a few bites.. (Unless it's spaghetti and meatballs)... There are some days I worry my kid isn't getting enough, but he's a hefty strong boy... I hear toddlers don't need much. plus- they get a lot of vitamins from the toddler formula..

Good luck! I think it's perfectly normal. :) (just a pain)

If your son is throwing food on the floor, he's not hungry. Feed him when he is. Just a word of advice about throwing food. Don't let him do it. If you allow it now, he will continue to throw it. Just say no throwing food and remove the food.

Most babies slow down their growth rate around 12-18 months, and so they are just not as hungry anymore. It sounds like this is what is happening with your son. Yes, it is true that if he is hungry, he will eat. Just make sure that he isn't filling up on milk or junk so that he is hungry enough to eat healthy foods when they are offered.

Relax. He'll be fine. This is normal and fine. Give him tiny bites, and expect that he'll throw most of it on the floor. Be sweet to him and relax.