Is it normal for meals with a 1 year old to be an all out BATTLE?

Question

For a while now feeding this little guy has been a nightmare. Honestly if I never offered him a thing he would not eat all day. He hates to be in his chair, spits out almost everything, throws food on the floor, screams, cries and whatever else to not eat. He will however, eat on the run like a cookie while playing with his blocks. Its a terrible habit I dont want to continue but if it werent for that the kid would have not a single thing of food in his tummy.

Is this normal? PLEASE PLEASE help me. I get so irritated and on the edge of losing my patience.

EXTRA:hes a great kid when it comes to almost every thing else.

Answer 1

Sometimes you just have to take a hint.

I know you want him well fed, but he will not starve himself.

And if you make it clear that meal times are at the table, and that it's fine if he doesn't want to eat, but if he does he needs to join you at the table -- eventually he will come to you while you're sitting down eating your meal, and he will ask for some food.

If you continue trying to make him want to eat there by keeping him there against his will and insisting he eat -- the table, and food will be a very negative experience for him.

Answer 2

switch the cookie with a a slice of apple.  

Answer 3

You need to stop feeding him cookies & snacks.  He knows that if he throws a fit you'll give in & give him the sweet stuff.  Put him in his chair w/ many food options - fruit, veggie, meat, & bread.  Let him eat what he wants.  After 20 mins, get him down, if he didn't eat, oh well, he'll be hungary enough to eat at the next meal.  He'll learn to eat what he's given.

Answer 4

I had this problem for a while when my son was little.  1 year olds really don't eat much unless they are going through a growth spurt.  I had to just get really consistent with him and only let him eat while he was in his chair.  I never would give him snacks anywhere else.  It was a battle for a while, and he would try and get out of his chair to run around with the snack.  When he did get food out of his chair, I would take it away, put it back on his tray and say, "If you want the snack you need to sit!"  He got used to it eventually and once he got hungry he ate sitting down.

(It's still a little bit of a battle he is now 4, but he knows the rules and the meal tantrums have been gone for a long time thankfully!  Better to have the tantrums over with early!)

Answer 5

my son is doing the exact same thing. he just will not eat food. but i give him gerber nums and cookies for toddlers and he will eat those ok sometimes. he will drink his formula but not anything else. everyone says it is just a phase and he will get over it and he won't let himself go hungry. so i guess i will tell you what people tell me "be patient" and i hope everything works out.