Toddler moms PLEASE help me

DS is 20 months old. He has slowly started to become a pickier and pickier eater (just like most toddlers) and up until literally yesterday I've been cooking him separate meals. I know that probably wasn't the best option but I've felt like he was too young to understand "eat this or go to bed hungry" but I'm due in 8 days with another child and I'm so tired of cooking from scratch, organic meals that take me at least an hour a night and have him throw it around and scream only to watch him eat a waffle. So last night I said "Smurf it, you won't eat... then don't" and he went to bed with just a pouch of pureed veggies.

I felt confident in my decision to break this habit now UNTIL he woke up every few hours screaming the paint off the walls because i'm pretty sure he was hungry. I felt like a rotten smurf bag. Please someone help me with my decision? Should I stick with my guns and keep offering him what I cook at night and if he doesn't eat it just deal with the night wakings? Or should I keep making him something else until he's a tad older and can tell me?

My Pedi always said if he's hungry, he'll eat.. I hate knowing also that if I were to make him say a hot dog he'd chow it down. But I have suck to you eat or you go to bed.
How well does he eat during the day?

Definitely keep offering him what you cook every night, that's a great place to start. At 20 months, kids aren't too young to be told, "This is what I made for dinner and I'm not making anything separate." I never fixed my kids something separate for dinner unless they had a stomach virus and just absolutely could not eat what I fixed for dinner.

It's not going to be easy to break the picky eating habit, but you CAN do it. Don't give up, and don't give in. Good luck!

Quoting GL♣PK:" My Pedi always said if he's hungry, he'll eat.. I hate knowing also that if I were to make him say a ... [snip!] ... to make him say a hot dog he'd chow it down. But I have suck to you eat or you go to bed. How well does he eat during the day?"

That's exactly what would happen with mine. although he's now started refusing even hot dogs (I give him organic chicken hot dogs that up until 4 minutes ago he LOVED now of course he wont touch)

He eats VERY well all morning. He has a bowl of cheerios and a few servings a fruit and then usually a snack a couple hours later. Either a banana or nutragrain bar something like that. Then lunch is where we start to run into some issues, usually it's either an organic flaxseed waffle with organic honey or a 7 grain whole wheat PB&J . He'll then have an organic yogurt or applesauce. He eats lunch after his nap at 2pm... then as a family we usually eat dinner at 5pm... maybe we aren't spacing his meals apart enough? he's in bed by 7pm.

Quoting PurpleBama582:" Definitely keep offering him what you cook every night, that's a great place to start. At 20 months, ... [snip!] ... It's not going to be easy to break the picky eating habit, but you CAN do it. Don't give up, and don't give in. Good luck!"

Thanks mama. Should I offer and then if he absolutely won't take a bite give him some crackers or something later so he doesn't go to bed hungry? or no? i'm so guilty  

<blockquote><b>Quoting CRSx2Mommy:</b>" Thanks mama. Should I offer and then if he absolutely won't take a bite give him some crackers or something later so he doesn't go to bed hungry? or no? i'm so guilty   "</blockquote>




I'd keep giving him the same meal you eat but try to make a side every night with your meal that you know he will eat. Like his fav veggie or pasta, etc. That way he's still eating " real food" not just getting more hooked on "snack" foods. If he likes one thing on his plate, hell be more opwn to teying the rest. And you can always give him fruit for dessert since that is a healthy option.

Quoting CRSx2Mommy:" Thanks mama. Should I offer and then if he absolutely won't take a bite give him some crackers or something later so he doesn't go to bed hungry? or no? i'm so guilty   "

I would probably give peanut butter crackers or something(if he can eat them....it's been so long since I had a 20 month old running around), especially until he learns that you are not going to fix him something different every night. He's young enough that he hasn't really had time to develop that big of a stubborn streak, but you just have to out-stubborn him. I think my DD2 was 5 before she started trying to act picky. She didn't want to eat what I fixed one night, so she was sent to bed. She hasn't pushed it with me since.

DD seems to have a stubborn streak about dinner and lunch. I get her to eat as much as I can and if it's lunch I will make her wait until snack time before I give her anything else. If it's dinner time and I think she'll be hungry in the night I'll give her an apple or an orange... I'm pretty sure she's just trying to con something "sweet" out of me because fruit is always my "go to", but DH doesn't think she has the mind set at her age to do those things.

<blockquote><b>Quoting CRSx2Mommy:</b>" That's exactly what would happen with mine. although he's now started refusing even hot dogs (I give ... [snip!] ... at 2pm... then as a family we usually eat dinner at 5pm... maybe we aren't spacing his meals apart enough? he's in bed by 7pm. "</blockquote>




That's exactly how cub son has been.. He was a great eater though until he had his tonsils removed, he got spoiled and got to eat whatever he would take.. It's been seven months and he's still picky. I'm not giving in though, even more so that were having another baby.. My husband thinks that when the baby is here and he sees that the baby eats X then he will also. Otherwise my son eats pretty great in the morning and afternoon, but wants nothing to do with dinner unless its crap food. He goes to bed at seven as well, I wondered the same since he naps til 5 and we eat right after, but its always been like this.. I'd just stick to routine

Quoting PurpleBama582:" I would probably give peanut butter crackers or something(if he can eat them....it's been so long since ... [snip!] ... to act picky. She didn't want to eat what I fixed one night, so she was sent to bed. She hasn't pushed it with me since. "

Yes I can easily slap some peanutbutter on a cracker I know he likes that. That way he can at least get some protein before bed to help keep his belly full if nothing else. You're right though most of these picky eaters I see are a lot older than my DS, which makes it so much harder to chose the right path to take!

Quoting AA&L:" DD seems to have a stubborn streak about dinner and lunch. I get her to eat as much as I can and if it's ... [snip!] ... "sweet" out of me because fruit is always my "go to", but DH doesn't think she has the mind set at her age to do those things."

Mine is all about fruit too.. might be the sweetness! There is a sweetness aspect to just about everything DS eats so I feel you on that one.

Quoting GL♣PK:" <blockquote><b>Quoting CRSx2Mommy:</b>" That's exactly what would happen with mine. ... [snip!] ... well, I wondered the same since he naps til 5 and we eat right after, but its always been like this.. I'd just stick to routine"

Sneaky kids, man. I'd like to stick to schedule since the new baby will cause enough of an uproar i'm sure. Oy. I hate this

<blockquote><b>Quoting CRSx2Mommy:</b>" Yes I can easily slap some peanutbutter on a cracker I know he likes that. That way he can at least ... [snip!] ... most of these picky eaters I see are a lot older than my DS, which makes it so much harder to chose the right path to take! "</blockquote>




That's a good idea in the sense that the protein will keep him fuller for longer, but he's still getting "snacks" instead of like " real dinner food" ya know. I think that might perpetuate the problem.

<blockquote><b>Quoting CRSx2Mommy:</b>" Sneaky kids, man. I'd like to stick to schedule since the new baby will cause enough of an uproar i'm sure. Oy. I hate this"</blockquote>




I hear you!! Lol I keep telling myself its just a phase. It's so frustrating though, especially when he doesn't even take a frickin bite, like PLEASE tell me how you know you don't like this?! He used to eat anything and everything I put in front of him. Lately I've just said screw it though, he's only hurting himself and if he is starving he will eat!

Quoting A is Me:" <blockquote><b>Quoting CRSx2Mommy:</b>" Yes I can easily slap some peanutbutter on ... [snip!] ... longer, but he's still getting "snacks" instead of like " real dinner food" ya know. I think that might perpetuate the problem."

It's a fine line. It's really hard. I don't want him to go to bed hungry but I want him to eat. I guess I just have to see what works for him? you know?