Lazy 3 year old eater, any tips

[numnum]

Does anyone have any tips for my fussy and lazy 3 year old at the table

Shes started to not want to use her fork, knife and spoon which is then leading to her not eating her meal. If i pick up the fork and feed her she eats it so we're going back to baby ways. I do remember my neice going through this phase when my little lady was about 1 and she was sitting eating brilliantly with her spoon and the 3 year old neice was being spoon fed so i'm hoping this will pass

My other problem is, she will not sit still. I did manage to get her to ask to leave the table but that has now worn off. She fidgets, stands up in her chair, if i turn round to help the baby then she's out the kitchen before I know it. So thats leading to the problem of her not eating and I'm not wanting to strap her in as she's at the age she needs to start learning to sit still for when i'm out with her

If I see she's starting to get fidgity and the fork goes down I'll then divide up the food and say 'if you eat that half you'll then be able to leave the table/or get pudding'.

What I serve up is what she gets, I'm not going to start making other meals and have told her if she doesn't eat up there will be no snack and the next meal she will get will be tea, supper or breakfast depending on what mealtime she's playing up at

Any other advice?

[boxtops]

I think you are doing it right - give her what's there, no choices, she'll soon eat if she's hungry.
Personally, I can't advise about the knife and fork thing - eating with my hands is a great pleasure for me, so I can see where she's coming from.

[China Doll]

Personally I'd let her eat with her hands and not make a big deal out of it. I'm pretty sure she'll not be trying to eat her petit pois in a mitchelin starred place that way when she's 18 so no point getting yourself stressed about it.

[sherrardk]

I have one three year old who eats with cutlery (he doesn't like to get mucky) and one who might use a fork, might use a spoon or might use her hands. Luckily she seems to reserve this behaviour for the house and behaves well when we eat out. At three years old, I am just glad that they eat anything they are given.

[welshlibranr]

she could be just craving attention, remember, any attention's better than none at that age!........I would encourage her to eat her meal, but if she doesn't, then don't offer snacks until the next meal!.............she'll soon get the message!.........

[I.Don No]

Personally, I think you are doing the right thing, so carry on and just remember that a healthy child will not starve his/her self!

[annie0000]

Type Your Answer Here...My son at age 10 still likes to use his "portable cutlery" (fingers) whenever he can get away with it. He can and does use knives, forks and spoons when we are out so I don't really care too much - he no longer tries to eat soup or yoghurt with his fingers so that'll do for me!!! - sometimes we even get him to wipe his hands on a napkin rather than his clothes or the chair so consider that progress!!!!

[tgm1974]

My 3 year old son is exactly the same, but we have no little one around just yet (that new one will arrive in Jan). He has been doing the same for sometime now so I was thinking it was an attention thing. Ive also noticed that if hes had a recent snack then he will play up more around tea time ... like hes not that hungry and getting bored eating when he doesnt really want to. I only say this cos when hes gone a while with nothing to eat, he will sit and eat up. Ive even tried getting him to help me make his tea .... mixing in the sauce to his pasta, buttering his own toast for brekkie/pouring milk on his cereal. Its just hard and frustrating so I know where you are coming from.

I just wish I could get him to eat a more varied diet as its either pasta, homemade chicken nuggets, soup, cheese on toast!!! Wheres the veg!!

Good luck