My 18 Month Old Will Not Eat Solid Food

Try distraction. Offer toys on the high chair tray, take off the tray and sit the chair under the table like a "big kid", with my oldest daughter we even fed her in front of the TV for a while. The last was a hard habit to break when started, but sometimes when you are desperate, the easy path is a nice change. Once they are distracted, you can slip food in un noticed. Good luck

Hi,

I just wanted to mention that I have a friend who had a similar problem with her daughter. They took her to a specialist to help her learn to eat different textures. I'm not sure exactly where they went, but it was one of the children's hospitals in the Philly area. So, you might want to ask you pediatrician about that if you think it is a real problem.

I fought with my daughter for a month because she would not eat anything I was giving her. Then I realized that she just hated jar food, wanted to feed herself, and thought she was too big for a high chair. Once I started just giving her whatever we were eating and let her do all the work getting the food into her mouth, she was much happier. Maybe he's just telling you he's too old for all that baby food and for that high chair? Like someone else already said, he'll eat if he's hungry, so if he passes on what's for dinner, then no harm done.

He will eat when he's hungry. If you keep giving him treats, he will wait till he gets his way, and gets the goodies. If you don't do that, and only give him a treat, after he finishes his meals, he will eat everything. You can't give in though. Don't worry about him starving, he will eat before that happens. If you want to get him trained to eat properly, you have to be firm. No treats until he eats his meal. If you do it once, he will know next time. He won't be healthy if he lives on snacks.

ooooo, this brings back memories. Here's some advice I got from the feeding specialist who helped me with my son:
* NEVER try and force feed. Ever. All it does is make matters worse, and he won't get the food in him anyway.
* Do NOT become a short order cook. If your son learns that he simply has to "hold out" until you give him the foods he's already "approved of", you'll quickly be a slave in your kitchen.
* Offer, offer, offer. Kids will reject a food up to 10 times before they'll even TRY it.
* Do NOT let them have a continual snack parade. Set eating times and STICK WITH THEM. A hungry child is much more likely to try something new than a not-so-hungry child.

What worked for me:
I'd feed my son what he liked, but with added ingredients. For example: he loves ravioli. So instead of cheese ravioli, I fed him spinach ravioli. And I'd add variations until he gladly gobbled up the spinach ravioli. I'd switch the cheese - from american to swiss, or ricotta, etc. Sometimes he'd flat out refuse the food, sometimes he'd eat a little and then say yuck, sometimes he wouldn't notice.
I have said "it's this or nothing". Don't get mad, just take the food away. Mealtime is over when he stops eating. Eventually this will sink in.
This will take months. I suggest valium for you, because this is EXTREMELY frustrating. But it's definitely worth it. It seems to take forever, but if you want to stop the battles for the next 15 years or so, doing this hard work now will definitely pay off.
And finally, I changed it up. I ate what he ate. I found that my son always wanted to try what I was eating, so I started eating what I wanted him to eat. Not only is it good for me, because I'm eating more vegetables and fruits, but it's easier to get him to try new foods. I'd also put him in my lap. He was much more relaxed and open to trying new foods when he was sitting in my lap, snuggling with me.

he doesnt seem secure about beeing away from u during the day....that might be why he wont eat either that or theres something wrong with his stomache i would have it checked

Have you tried putting him at a small table and chairs? Maybe he would do better if he felt like a big boy! My son was 17 months at easter and we bought him his very own table and chair, his size, and he does great!

My kids were not good at eating the foods that we ate for a while. I thought that it was my fault for not insisting more that my kids eat what we ate. I fell into the bad habit of becoming a short order cook to please everyones taste! It was anoying for a while and then I put my foot down. My kids are now 5 and 7 and eat everything that we eat. It was a gradual process and as they got older it became easier because you can have a dialog about healthy choices etc. I guess I just didn't want to "fight" the food thing and turn dinner or lunch into a battle. I think that at this age, eating habits are individual..some kids simply cannot sit like we can, I had two like that! It does change, however, as they get older so hang in there and feed him however you can to keep him healthy and happy and don't turn it into a battle...for all of your sakes!

I have a very similar situation. My daughter is 18 months and is just starting to expand her like in table foods. She also did not like the number 3 baby foods with the exception of the fruit ones. Any of the meat, vegetable, pasta jars that have the little chunks, she would and still continues to spit out.

At each meal, I just keep offering different foods depending on what we are having. She tries everything, but then spits many of them out.

Finally within the last month or two, she has started eating table food. Letting her use her own fork was a big help. Plus she started off accepting the sweeter stuff- fruit, pancakes with syrup, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, etc. Now she eats grilled cheese, french fries, stuffing, and chicken noodle casserole, so she is slowly adding new foods. I know they all might not be the healthiest, but I still use number 2 foods to ensure she gets her meats and vegetables.

I am also hoping that the older she gets, the more tricks I can use.

My daughter is almost 16 months old, and I joke that she's on a liquid diet. all she wants is to drink milk all day it seems. I've been giving her smoothie drinks to get some different nutrients in her.
I also joke that if she had food in one hand, and a rock in the other, she would put the rock in her mouth. it's very frustrating since her older sister will eat anything.
I do find that she likes to eat things that she can hold in her hands... grilled cheese she will nibble at. Cheese sticks and carrot sticks. Uncrustables PB&J are good... if I make it myself she just pulls it apart and it's on the floor.
is he teething? My older daughter got her teeth very early, so maybe this makes a difference? my younger one only has 6 so far, and I think she has some molars and the bottom front two coming in.... so that might be ruining her appetite too.
someone suggested getting him his own table, and that could help. My daughters eat at their own table together (i sit on the floor with them). you could try leaving some cut up fruit or veggies on a table. I've noticed that sometimes they are more likely to eat (or drink) something if it's sitting there for them to discover and explore, rather than handing it to them.
I hope this helps!!!!!

My son did the same thing when he was 12 months old and my doctor suggested that I stop baby food completely. He explaned that if I did, my son would have no option but to eat what I put in front of him. It worked! Within two days he ate what I gave him, and I found that things I would have never given him before (mushrooms, tomatoes, etc.) became his new favorite foods! Your son won't starve if you do this, and you will probably find that he likes more things than you would think!

omg... my 18 month old son is the same way! The only difference is he doesnt cry when in his high chair. Has anything worked?