Food strike!

[Amy]

My 8 1/2 month old has started a strike against baby food. He will still drink his bottles and nurse, but when it comes to feeding him spoonfuls of cereal, fruit or veggies, he acts like we are trying to poison him. I have tried (in vain and at the cost of our floors) giving him more whole soft foods for him to eat and he is still quite picky. He will only eat puffs regularly. I know that he is cutting through a few more teeth - will this cause a strike?
It's hard to believe that this is the same kid that ate any jar just a few short weeks ago. Any suggestions?

[Jennie Geisler Hutchison]

I agonized over this with my now 3-year-old. In fact, I've agonized through phase after phase at getting decent food into that same 3-year-old. My husband finally told me "He'll eat when he's hungry." And I let up the reigns. Tried nutritious food at every meal, even if was just two green beans, with no hope he'd ever eat them. I've gotten used to wasting food.
He does surprise me now and again. He'll eat a whole orange in sections, bananas and even sliced apples.
You certainly can't argue with an 8-month-old, so for now it's up to him, unfortunately.
These days I have limited success at luring mine to eat his fruit with the promise of a tiny piece of candy.

[Amy Buechel]

Hi Amy,
I remember with my children, now ages 7 and 5 that teething time was a very frustrating time for both baby and Mom and Dad :-) The first thing to remember is it is temporary and it will pass, along with your child's dislike for the foods you are trying.
I did learn that if you try to let him "help" it sometimes works. Even at the young age of 8 1/2 months, he can start to pick things up and explore new things. I would cut up a banana and set t out on the high chair tray along with cooked carrots cut into safe size pieces and cooked so long that they just about dissolved in their mouths. When we would sit down to a family dinner, anything that the "big people" were having that was safe for them was attempted.
I found that sometimes they did not like the idea of "being fed"...independence is coming! I think at a certain point, they just get plain tired of the strained foods.

I hope this helped a little and good luck!

[Ellen Innes]

Sometimes letting him feed himself helped my kids. I would put small bites of food right on the tray and they loved it. with your observation

[Admomistrator]

The good news is kids can't and won't starve themselves. Typically you have to introduce a new food to a child 15 times before they will try it. Sometimes it never works (mine harbors deeps suspicions about cottage cheese at the moment but will eat a grouper sandwich without blinking an eye. And, please, don't put cheese on her burger).

At 8 1/2 months your child is going through a huge developmental phase - crawling, pulling his or herself up and some even start walking at 9 months. So they can be torn between the adventure (gosh, mom, who has time to eat when so much cool stuff is going on) and wanting to be reassured (familiar foods, senses, mom). Teething is also tough on appetites, moods and moms.

www.wholesomefoods.com has some suggestions. Your child may be wanting to exert some independence, so instead of "feeding" him or her, put together a plate of interesting foods to explore - boiled sweet potato cubes, cooked apple pieces - even cold waffles.

Here's some advice from that Web site:

Could your baby be a "picky eater"?

A recent email asked us, "How do I feed my 10 1/2 month old picky eater?"

Studies have shown that babies need to be exposed to a food between 15 to 21 times before they develop a true like or dislike for that food.

True "picky eaters" do not emerge until well into toddlerhood when their likes and dislikes have been clearly established.

Even as your baby enters toddlerhood and seems to be becoming a "picky eater", many times this picky eating is simply your toddler's way of asserting control and independence!

How to Not Encourage a Picky Eater

Feeding your baby a variety of foods, on his own terms, will help decrease the odds of establishing a true "picky eater"!

Some of the best advice ever given to parents who feel they may have a baby who is a "picky eater" is to realize that it is up to you to offer your baby healthy and wholesome foods; it is up to your baby to decide whether or not to eat that food! Your baby will never starve himself and the best thing you can do is to just continue to offer the foods and try and relax about how much is eaten or not eaten.

Picky Eaters May Just Be in a Picky Phase

Remember, a baby's appetite will change on a constant basis as will his food likes and dislikes! A baby who is ill or teething may not wish to mash those favored finger foods with sore gums. That same baby may lose his appetite for a few days and then suddenly the typical appetite comes roaring back.

An infant who is busy exploring the carpet or the new soft-book she has received may be miffed when she is put into a high chair and offered food, even if it is her favorite carrot and pear dices.

Don't forget about the natural slow down of growth that babies go through. They are ravenous for a few days or a week or two and then suddenly they are barely eating. Babies who are coming out of a growth spurt will tend to eat less than they were during the growth spurt!

As your baby gets older, the appetite will naturally slow as he becomes less reliant on breast and/or bottles for his nutrition and requires less to sustain healthy growth and development. Parents should remember that as solids replace breast milk and/or formula, it becomes more difficult to realize how much baby is now eating! Chart the foods your baby is eating during a 5 day period and you may be surprised to find that your baby really is not as "picky" as you think!"