HELP my 18 month old is a fusspot :(

Ok So having the worst time feeding DD at the moment, she will not eat warm meals for lunch or dinner (lunch at daycare they have to warm lunches a week) won't let us spoon feed her will not feed herself but will happily play with the spoon and fork.

I am just stuck on what to do or what to give her she'll happily snack on a crusket or cheesy pop or some of those rafferty tubes if I have some... But dinner and lunch is becoming a massive stuggle and I'm worried she's not getting enough (she does have a bottle before sleeptime at daycare and before she goes to bed...

Is this pretty normal or have I created a monster, I've stopped offering other things like cheese cause she asks for it so I don't think thats it but could be wrong? i could be stressing for nothing but its doing my head in at the moment

Let her play. give her a plate of things to pick at and try. She'll eat if she's hungry.
Try not to make an issue out of it and it won't be - just remember that it's your job to offer her good food, but not your job to make her eat. :)
I would think she'd be a pretty unusual 18-month old if she let you feed her :D

My twelve month old won't let me feed him these days, so he gets a plate full of everything I eat. Sticks of vegetables, bread, some rice, meat, anything! It's normal around this age for babies to demand being independent. If she's not hungry at meal times, try reducing the snacks.

One of those raffertys garden things is a meal IMO.

It's normal! They won't go hungry especially if they are grazing during the day and I have the raffertys on hand to top up ds if he is hungry loves to suck them down all by himself.

I agree with MadB, all you can do is offer food and she'll eat when she's hungry. My DS is an absolute fusspot too (has been since 18 months old, he's now 2) so if he shakes his head no at food being offered, I just leave it there for a while. If he does not pick at it/eat it, I remove it and wait till next meal time and offer the next meal. I used to fill him up with snacks in between meals, thinking at least he's got something in his tummy, but now if he doesn't want it, I don't offer as many snacks. I used to give him lots of musli bars and things which had lots of sugar (baby/toddler foods but I never realised how much sugar they have) so now I offer mosty fruit and dry plain crackers/cruskets etc.

Thanks Ladies....

Unfortunately she won't eat the rafferty's now either (her dad has to do the dinner thing as I work till late) hopefully its a phase and she'll get over it soon enough!

With DS1 at about the same age I had a huge "battle" with him one dinner time. It lasted about an hour - he didn't want to eat his lasagna (rafferty's too). I had Dad coaching me through trying to put the food into his mouth and eventually I won. Now he eats everything I give him, I don't give him extra food etc. With DS2 I give him a plate of what we're having, and yogurt after that I feed him (he feeds himself with his hands/fork the mains). DS1 definately less messy than DS2! But I think both approaches work - is she still on milk? (booby or cows')? If so then that's pretty much a complete meal anyhows.

Best advice I ever heard... 'it's your job to provide healthy nutritious food, and it's your child's job to eat it'.

Just try to relax and make meal times stress-free. She will not starve herself :)

My DD is 18 months & hasn't ever been spoon fed... She's a great eater, but not a fan of mashed stuff. Will drink yoghurt from a foil pack, but gags from a spoon :rolleyes:
Some days she just eats & eats, others she hardly touches anything.

She actually usually eats half her dinner from the bowl, then will tip the rest out & eat it from the table :lol: