We started weaning Piglet at 4 months on medical advice, as he wasn’t the big fat baby we expected him to be. That meant that we couldn’t go down the route of baby led weaning, as I had expected to do. Puree’s went down a treat with Piglet, and he was soon scoffing bigger and bigger portions.
He has always loved his food. There is very little that he won’t eat, and I’ve managed to keep his diet really varied. When he hit 6 months old we started introducing finger food, but the majority of his meals were still spoon fed.
And then, overnight, he changed.
About 3 weeks ago Piglet suddenly stopped wanting me to feed him. He went from happily opening his mouth to clamping it shut and turning away. Little monkey!
So we’ve been trying to embrace his need for independence and let him do it himself, but he is so fickle! He has weird mood swings around his spoon. Here are the 3 things that are driving me crazy:
1. Sometimes I Can Use A Spoon, Sometimes I Can’t
For some reason only known to him, breakfast is a meal he wants to be spoon fed. He’s not interested in finger food, preferring the lazy option of opening his mouth and having the food fall in. Similarly, yoghurt is fine – which is just as well really because that could be a train wreck.
Thats all good and well. I know where I stand with breakfast. It’s the rest of the meals that I’m expected to be a mind reader for. One day I can present him with some pasta on his tray and he will pick it up and shovel it into his mouth. A few days later, he expects me to feed him.
There seems to be no reasoning or logic behind it (is there ever any with kids?). If I place it down and he doesn’t want to do it himself he starts a stubborn screech to make his point clear. Menace!
2. Spoon Preference
If I am being allowed to use a spoon to get some food into him, it has to be the RIGHT spoon. I thought those sort of fussy demands were to be expected of toddlers – not a 9 month old!
We have 2 types of spoon in the house. My favourite are these Munchkin spoons
Now, he insists on having one of the other spoons I have in the drawer. I actually don’t know why I kept them – maybe I was anticipating some sort of spoon emergency? I hated them since the day I opened the packet. The groove is too deep, meaning food often gets stuck in it rather than actually getting eaten. They are a massive waste of time.
Obviously, these are the only spoons Piglet will let me use. So I’m stuck feeding him with what feels like a miniature ladle, cursing myself for buying them in the first place.
3. Spoon Refusal AND Finger Food Refusal
This is possibly Piglet’s most irritating type of meal. I dish him up something nice and easy to eat with his hands….. and he refuses.
As much as he thinks he’s a big boy who can feed himself, he doesn’t like certain textures. Particularly wet things – I can’t say I really blame thing. One of his favourite snacks is an orange or satsuma, but getting him to pick a piece up can be difficult. Instead, he sits with his mouth open waiting for Mama to pop a piece in for him!
Safe to say we are trying to not make a habit of this – but my goodness is he stubborn!
What sort of weaning peculiarities does your little one have? Make me feel better about my fussy boy by sharing yours in the comments below.
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I’d just take it as a good thing – he knows what he wants and he sounds like he eats well. I think my little one was always lazy (and still is) and always wanted feeding! It’s a fun time and gets funner when they change their mind about liking things. haha I’m not making this any better eh? Thanks for sharing with #bestandworst x
Sarah Howe @runjumpscrap recently posted…Best and Worst Week #78
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I expect all of that….. I just hadn’t expected it yet!
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Ahhhh, Piglet! You pesky pickle. Our Pickle is the same when it comes to spoons – he just doesn’t want to open his mouth for them. He’s also a big orange fan, but he’s quite good at picking them up and sucking on them. And then he just hoards pieces of orange in his mouth for ages. I’ve found orange remnants in there like half an hour after I’ve thought he’s finished. Strange child!
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Piglet does that with mince! I think he’s done and later on I find him casually chewing on a bit!
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I would def be weary of feeding him if you know he is capable of doing it himself, it will cause you a lot of hag in the long run. Maybe try and do some sensory activities to do with touch and texture to get him used to feeling different things. I had to have a spoon clear out recently I had about 50 of them and don’t get me started on the bowls and sippy cups 🙂
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We have a lot of the same problems as you. Rory will happily eat porridge or yogurt from a spoon but when it comes to lunch and dinner I have no idea where I am with him! One day he’ll happily eat ginger foods the next day he’ll want purée. It’s literally pot luck as to whether I’ve successfully read his mind and gone with the right option!
I’m trying to be a little more relaxed about it though. It was getting me worried and every meal was turning into a fight. We just go with the flow now. If he doesn’t eat he doesn’t eat! As my mother would say, he’ll eat when he’s hungry!
Nice to know it’s not just us with a stubborn, fussy little monkey! #picknmix
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I don’t let it become a battle, if he doesn’t want to eat it then thats fine. I offer something else and move on. I just wish I knew what to expect though!
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Weaning certainly isn’t easy here. Number Two is very picky. Although he’s quite happy to put things in his mouth, mostly he just chews them up and spits them out.
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All of these are all too familiar and I’m sorry but I did laugh at your section on spoons! Can totally relate!
Laura recently posted…Fitness: How I lost 14lbs in 10 weeks
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I swear he picks the ladle spoon just to annoy me!
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My eldest daughter was the messiest eater I have ever seen. Hands into every kind of meal and then straight away rubbed into her hair. Arrgh. I need to start now with my second daughter but I am not looking forward to it 🙂
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He does enjoy rubbing any sauces into his hair – lucky it is short!
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Ha ha, this sounds like my two year old! She’s perfectly capable of feeding herself but would much rather get someone else to feed her, although they have to put the right bit on the fork. She’s also funny about picking certain things up because she doesn’t like the feel but will happily put her whole hand in a bowl of cereal to pick bits out and get herself and everything within a few feet of her covered in milk!
#Bestandworst
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They’re little monkey’s aren’t they!
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One of my boys always insisted on feeding himself and often put the whole bowl on top of his head and then screamed as his hair was messy… honestly you can’t win with babies and toddlers ha! Thanks for linking up to #PicknMix
Stevie x
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I’ve gotten wise to that – he doesn’t get a plate or bowl! It just goes straight on the tray
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The constant wiping has to be my number one weaning woe – that said we did do baby led weaning so it was my own fault! #pickmix
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