Baby Having Problems in Her High Chair

It could be that she is ready to try to feed herself, or at least explore that opportunity. Give her more finger foods, and if she still needs to eat baby food at each meal, give her a little at a time and get her a training spoon/stick. It kinda looks like a fat spoon, only the spoon part is missing. That way babies can hold it and just dip it into their food to get it to their mouth. It helps build their coordation as well. Good luck!

Stop feeding her with a spoon. Honestly, it sounds to me like she is saying "Mom, I want to do it myself!"...give her a plate and a little spoon with food cut into safe sizes (maybe cut it up before you put her in her chair) and then let her feed herself. My kids were both really independent and wanted to feed themselves pretty early on. I'd say she's done with having help. You'll have to endure the mess it will make, but it will be worth it when you can eat in peace!

Good luck!

Give her something to play with while in the chair. My son always wants a little car to play with or a book to read while in the high chair. He'll stay in their for quite a while playing after he's done eating so I have time to clean up the kitchen and do some dishes, etc.

My two boys NEVER liked baby food and I thought it was just me doing it wrong at first. :)
Then one day I pinched off a tiny piece of what I was eating and my baby GOBBLED IT UP! OMG! my baby DOES like to eat! Then I busted out my butcher knife and just minced up a portion of my food at every meal. That did the trick.
Oh and I never put them in their chairs until there's something ready to feed them. Even if you just hand her a half of a peeled banana. She'll just nibble away at it while you chop up her food. GOOD LUCK!

My second daughter rejected all "baby food" at 10 months, opting for "real food" cut up into tiny little chunks. She had no teeth, but managed quite well. She still drank breastmilk and formula, so I wasn't concerned about how much she was eating. I don't think they really need very much "food" as long as they still get milk in some form. So just give up on the baby food and give her finger foods and a spork or a spoon and maybe a toy to play with and have her sit with you for as long as she is comfortable. I taught my kids sign language so that they could say "all done." For us the all done sign was putting both hands up in the air. To teach this, just put their hands up when you think they are done, say "ALL DONE!" a few times and set them free. Then refuse to feed them anymore until next feeding time. That way, they could have good manners and in essence ask to be excused instead of crying and throwing food. Mealtimes should be enjoyable for all, and if her chair is not a comfortable place for her, she probably won't have too much patience to wait until big sister is finished eating.

That is another thought - See if there is a way to make her chair more comfortable - is she tall enough to sit comfortably? My daughter was so small and skinny that I folded a bath towel and placed it on the seat to boost her up. That way she could see and reach all the morsels of food on her tray.

Hi Chara, Please accept this adviced/comments with a open mind. It sounds to med that your 11 month old has a lot of control, you running around keeping finger foods in from of her is crazy. She's not trying to poop every time you put her in the high chair, arching her back, is the bigining of a tatrum, your 2 year old should be feeding his/herself. at 11 months old, she doesn't need baby food, and she is telling you the only way she can at 11 months old. The 9 month old in my daycare does the same thing, arches her back and fussus when things don't go the way she wants them too. Today she had ravilolies chopped up and peaches, what i don't do is take her down when she acts up, because I don't want her fussing to get her way, when she settles down then I take her down. You just need to enforce table routines for your kids. 11 months old is not to young to start learning. Hope this helps. J.

Hi Chara;
I haven't had an 11 month old for awhile now, but I'm wondering if she would like to eat in a different seat. Do you have one of those saucer kind of toys where she could stand or sit depending on how she feels?

Also, do you have a CranioSacral practitioner in your area? Sometimes a misalignment in the spine can make sitting in certain positions uncomfortable for a little one.

Good luck,
S.

Dear Chara,

Wow...I'd be worried about your daughter developing negative attitudes toward eating with all this going on. Your stress is something she can perceive and right there I know some little ones would start resisting.
Is it possible to adjust mealtime so that it happens after a bowel movement/diaper change? Just to see if you can rule that possibility out.
I know we are all encouraged to keep a set family mealtime, but maybe shift eating would not be so bad if it got the resistance/stress down. Can she try to use a spoon a little? Play with a spoon while you feed? Try new baby foods/homemade? (Kids can get aversions to foods they used to like...quite suddenly. It really keeps you on your toes.) More control on her part might help her mood. Good luck!

hand her the spoon and let her do it. My daughter was like that, and I was finally so frustrated that I had to walk away. when I got back she was 'feeding' herself and loving it! Made for a bit of a mess, but I found that if she was holding the spoon, I could help guide the spoon.
Good luck!
R.

Hi Chara,

Is it because she's not hungry. Sometimes my 8 month old fusses because she wants a nap instead. When she's hungry she readily opens her mouth. also, check the highchair and make sure nothing is poking or irritating her. Good luck.

Seems like she might prefer to eat small pieces of whatever you're eating. Two of my three children completely stopped eating baby food by 10 months. It actually made it much easier for me. I just took a small portion of the food I made for the rest of the family and cut it into small pieces for the baby.