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I don't think anyone is "going against" you....you came on asking for opinions and we are giving them. Trust me, if you read through this forum, if anyone is "going against" you, you will certainly know it - we tend to be a pretty blunt group! Another thing to try is frozen veggies. One "treat" that both my kids loved was, when we returned from the grocery store, I would place them in their high chair and put a handful of still frozen peas or corn on the tray. They loved picking up the pieces and popping them into their mouths. Kept them busy long enough for me to get the groceries put away AND they got the message that veggies were a treat!
Well i guess going against me was wrong choice of words. Im just frustrated with the situationand a tad tired. Not too mention it sucks thinking that now i am the only person who has this problem.
We always looked at the problems we had with our kids this way, "Well, when he gets to college, he'll have to change."
But the advice you have received her is valid. It's time that he start picking up foods with his fingers and feeding himself. Baby foods are too soft at this point. Green beans, anykind of beans, peas, cooked carrots, small pieces of chicken, fish, hamburger, can be handled too. Sure, it's messy, but that's what wash cloths are for.
Don't worry, he won't starve, but he's at an age where he will be able to go longer and longer without eating if you don't call a stop to it now. If you think you might have a problem now, just wait a month or two without doing anything.
Phases could be a few meals, to a few days to a few weeks. Every child is different. It is frustrating when they *decide* to eat only a thing or two, but, truly, your son will not starve if you lose the strawberries and bananas for a few days while you get him back to a more varied diet. Table foods are key at this point, but if he does not like the texture (yet...don't worry, he will) then try other items like yogurt, applesauce (the grown up, no sugar added kind, not the hyper expensive babyfood mush), pastina (or really, the larger pastina, like acini di pepe) etc.
Your dr. is right, though, keep putting the table foods in front of him. Cheerios, Kix cereal, over cooked carrots, peas, etc. This is the age that things really start going in the mouth, so take advantage of it! And, I know, it seems like *he* is the one who is scared of the texture/potential for choking, but I assure you (I mean this with all due respect and support of a BTDT mom)....it is YOU who is scared and he gets this. Relax, just give him a little at a time, and before you know it he'll be pushing away the babyfood for good and asking for steak!
Good luck!
Oh and I also made really thin pancakes and cut them up small and tried that but that didnt go over too well and so then i tried to mix the little pieces of it in his yogurt and he wouldnt eat it either. But like i said he lieks soy yogurt. The only thing i have some success at is the earths best teething biscuits. He doesnt actually bite it and chew but he picks it up and licks it and Puts it his mouth.
Oh honey, this is just the beginning! Seriously, we all have issues with raising our kids. Whether it is health, growth, education, behavior or even .....food. We come on here to get opinions or just to commiserate. We certainly understand being tired and frustrated....but this too shall pass. Hang in there - the fact that you are questioning and looking for other opinions is a good thing....it will all work out eventually, then he will be stubborn about something else all together!
No, you aren't the only one with this problem. Most of us worked through something similar. I had one that wanted just spaghetti. Again, it was something he could pick up himself, (and play with UGH!)
The answers that you are getting are from those that understand exactly what is going on. Children learn to feed themselves a varity of foods early if they can start picking up the food early.
If he eats nothing carrots today, that's ok. Tomorrow, he may be more interested in nothing but beans. It works out if you don't make a big thing out of it. Babies learn very quickly how to manipulate mommy.
Mealtime shouldn't be wartime. Relax. I know that is easier said than done, but fix the meal, get one of those baby dishes that stick onto his high chair, put a little of each thing in the plate. If and when he cleans up one item, wait and see if he goes to another, if he doesn't in a short while, put more of the first item there.
Think of training him to feed himself and eating well as the first step in schooling him for life.
We have the same thing going on with our 10 month old twins. One eats whatever you feed him with no complaints, the other one, not so much.
We're trying more regular food now. The picky eater is better with feeding himself things like pieces of banana, green beans, etc. Last evening he was refusing the baby food (he'll knock the spoon out of my hand just before it gets to his mouth, so food and spoon go flying!) so I made a grilled cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread and cut it up into little pieces, and they split the sandwich.
If I let him eat something he wants first, like the grilled cheese, then he'll eat the baby food, so he ate baby food peas after the sandwich, then fruit baby food for desert.
Im just frustrated with the situationand a tad tired. Not too mention it sucks thinking that now i am the only person who has this problem.
Hugs to you, Mom! You're FAR from the only one with this (or any!!) parenting problem....hang in there. It's hard....esp. with the first one. My ped reminded me when they were this age to keep an eye on what they eat over the coarse of a week, or a even a month, not just a day.....if they're getting a variety, they're doing great!
And my wise old neighbor was constantly reminding me that parenting is only hard for the first hundred years!
At nine months, he'd be fine even if all he were having were breastmilk. Foods are a supplement at this age.
My daughter would not ever eat baby food, only table foods... so we simply waited until she was 9-10 months old, and offered her soft foods she could pick up herself.
Try small chunks of cheese if you're doing dairy, avocado, strawberries, bananas (since he likes these things), steamed carrots and green beans, potatoes, small pasta (my kids like whole wheat ditalini), etc.
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