Is your baby or toddler gagging on foods all of a sudden? Does your toddler chew food and spit it out? Or, your baby won’t put food in their mouth? Find out what’s normal and what’s not from a pediatric occupational therapist.
One of the most popular reasons parents find their way to Your Kid’s Table is because their baby or toddler isn’t eating baby food, table food, or both. Obviously, this is a huge area of concern for parents.
These refusals are usually a red flag that something deeper is going on with their eating, and if it isn’t addressed, it could lead to long years of picky eating and feeding difficulties that causes the whole family stress.
I’ve helped so many families of 2, 4, 6, 8, or even 12 year olds that are in a really desperate spot, and one of the first questions I ask (even for a 12 year old) is, “How did they transition to table foods?”
It gives me a clue as to how eating got so out of control! Because if a baby or toddler gagged a lot or started to all of a sudden, or if they refused to eat, it’s a sign that they have some difficulties that have caused challenging mealtimes for years.
I really want to help parents like you avoid that!
Let’s talk about 8 different feeding red flags for babies and young toddlers and what you can do to help your child.
8 Feeding Red Flags for Babies and Toddlers
#1. Baby Refuses Baby Food
Not all babies love the mushy pureed stuff, and many don’t gobble it down jar after jar the way other babies do. But, when a baby consistently refuses, and even becomes upset when presented with baby food, it is usually a red flag that there may be some sensory sensitivity.
While babies don’t need to eat baby food and can focus on table foods, it’s important for them to learn to tolerate using a spoon and eat purees like yogurt, soup, and applesauce as they get older.
Head to my baby won’t eat solids to learn a step-by-step plan to help your baby eat pureed baby food!
#2. Baby Refuses Table Food
Often, when babies refuse pureed foods, logically, parents will start trying table foods. In fact, that is just what I would recommend. However, if a baby is refusing pureed foods because of the mushy texture, they also may not be too keen on bananas or avocados.
Or, some babies love baby food, but want nothing to do with table food. There’s a way to help babies and toddlers transition to finger foods.
I always recommend starting with a dry and crunchy melt-able like baby puffs. If a baby is steadily refusing those and all other foods, then that is a clear indication that something else is going on.
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#3. Baby or toddler gags at sight, touch, taste of baby food or table food repeatedly
Some gagging when touching or trying new foods is normal, but if your baby or toddler does this every time, then it’s a strong indicator that they are sensitive to different textures. Or, yes, it’s possible your toddler gags at the sight of food alone.
This is because they’re imagining what that texture is going to taste or feel like.
It’s important (and very possible) to work with your child in a slow, but steady pace to help them desensitize to the textures that causing them to gag. Get an entire guide to toddler and baby gagging. You’ll find tips for how to move past it.
#4. Gags, spits food out, or seems to choke repeatedly when trying to chew or swallow food
There’s a difference between gagging when first interacting with a food and gagging when trying to eat.
Gagging or spitting food out after the baby has started eating tends to indicate that a baby may be having difficulty coordinating the actions of chewing and/or swallowing. These are called their oral motor skills.
Some babies and toddlers need help learning to chew.
At the same time, some babies won’t gag or spit out, but they’ll just hold onto the food, letting it sit in their mouth because they don’t know what to do with it or don’t want to swallow. This is called pocketing food.
#5. Baby or Toddler is only interested in nursing or bottle feeding at 8 months old or later
By 8 months old, at the very latest, babies should be showing some interest in some type of food (puree, soft table foods, or crunchy foods). If they don’t, despite repeated attempts, you would want to consider they have a texture sensitivity, oral motor difficulty, or a possible medical issue like food allergies, silent reflux, or a tongue tie, to name a few.
Make sure you talk to your pediatrician and see a pediatric GI to rule out any physical difficulties you might not be aware of.
#6. Baby or toddler won’t feed themselves with their fingers and/or spoon or fork
Sometimes, children aren’t able to coordinate the action of using a spoon or fork. Of course, I don’t expect a 6 month old to be able to feed themselves much, but they should be attempting to finger feed at a minimum.
When a child at 6, 9, or 14 months old refuses to feed themselves with fingers or utensils, it’s a red flag that they either can’t coordinate the movement required or that they’re too sensitive to textures so they’re avoiding getting messy or having utensils in their mouth.
Either way, you can learn how to teach your child to feed themself.
#7. Only will eat when watching a screen or other distractions
If a young baby or toddler is only able to eat by being distracted by a tablet, TV, phone, or a parent standing on their head trying to entertain them, then they again are lacking the intrinsic motivation to eat, which can happen for a variety of reasons. (See the big 5 reasons babies and toddler’s won’t eat.)
It’s a big bright red flag that something more is going on. Older toddlers and children can fall into this pattern for other reasons, but babies that have never been fed successfully another way, often need help to address the root of the problem.
Again, this is often underlying medical issues, sensory sensitivities, and/or oral motor difficulties.
#8. Doesn’t mouth on toys or chew on found items
I often hear from parents, “I thought it was so great that my baby never put anything in his mouth.”
On the surface, that does seem awesome, but there is a reason babies do that. It desensitizes their mouth to different textures, helps build their jaw, tongue, and lip muscles needed for eating, and they get to practice chewing. If your child never did this and has one of the other red flags, it is likely that there are some underlying difficulties.
Busted Myths About Babies and Toddlers Eating…
Myth #1: My baby isn’t eating because they don’t have teeth
If I had a dollar for every time I heard a parent say their child isn’t eating because they don’t have any teeth yet…. Well, you know how the rest goes! I hear this a lot, and I know that seems like good logic, but I want to shout from the roof tops: Babies and toddlers don’t need teeth to eat successfully.
Really, I’m not kidding!
Think about the first teeth babies get, which is anywhere from 6-14 months old. They are the front teeth. We don’t use our front teeth to chew, and babies shouldn’t be either. Their gums are strong and they should be chewing on them, right where their molars will be. It could be a year later before those molars come in.
Of course, the gums aren’t strong enough to chew steak or raw carrots, that’s why we don’t give those foods to babies.
Otherwise, babies and young toddlers were designed to eat successfully at meals without teeth.
Other foods they shouldn’t eat because they don’t have a teeth and are a choking hazard are:
- nuts
- lettuce
- popcorn
- other tough meats
- most other raw veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, and celery
They need teeth and more advanced chewing skills to manage all of those foods. Other than those tough foods and a few choking hazards like grapes and hotdogs, babies are able to eat a wide variety of foods without teeth.
Myth #2: They will grow out of it
I hear this A LOT too! But, it’s not from the parents of babies that are under 15 months old. It is from the parents of 2, 5, 8 year olds plus.
While some parents do arrive at this conclusion on their own because they honestly didn’t know what else to do, sadly, most of the time, parents had a gut feeling something more was going on, but their pediatrician told them, “Don’t worry, she is healthy, she’ll grow out of it.”
I’m not trying to knock pediatrician’s here, they are amazing and I have had the privilege of working with some amazing ones, both personally and professionally. Unfortunately, many receive very little advanced training in feeding difficulties that aren’t causing medical problems or weight loss.
If you see one of these signs, do some research, push for help, or tap into our resources here so you can be supported!
When it’s Time to Get Professional Help
Generally speaking, if your child has two or more of the red flags listed above, I would highly recommend getting a feeding evaluation, which is usually completed by OT’s (like myself) or speech and language pathologists. However, in a lot of cases, only one of these red flags is enough to warrant an evaluation.
If your baby is not eating any foods by 9 months of age or no table foods by 11 months of age, I would also strongly encourage a feeding evaluation.
More importantly though, if you feel like you don’t know how to help your child and something in your gut is telling you that there’s more going on, then get some help. You will be glad you did.
*Please keep in mind that babies born prematurely or present with developmental disabilities may be on a different timeline. Also, every child is unique and this information is tended to be a guide for parents to make decisions about potential interventions to help their child. If you still aren’t sure if your child needs more help, leave a comment below.
Where to Get Eating Help for Your Baby or Toddler
We specialize in helping babies and toddlers eat well. It’s so important to address it sooner than later because the older a child gets, the more ingrained the challenges become.
We have an online program designed for babies and toddlers struggling to eat table foods called Table Food School and another one for picky eaters called Mealtime Works. Plus, we have two free workshops:
- Click here for a free workshop to help babies and toddlers learn to eat table foods
- Click here to a free workshop to help picky eaters (toddlers and older)
If you’re in the states, you can also look into early intervention. What’s covered varies by state, but the evaluation is often free for kids 0-3 years old. Feeding therapy may also be an option. Check with your individual insurance company first to schedule at a private clinic, outpatient facility, or children’s hospital.
Learn to Eat Table Foods Printable for Babies and Toddlers
Want some concrete tips in your hand right now? I have a free printable that will help give you some direction and ease your worries. It’s for parents that are struggling to get your toddler or baby to eat table foods. I’ll send it right to your inbox:
Grab the Free When Babies Won’t Eat Table Foods FAQ Sheet right here!
More on Babies and Toddlers Eating
8 Tips for Nursing Moms Returning to Work With a Baby That Won’t Take A Bottle!
The Best 9 Month Old Baby Food + Table Food Ideas!
How to Teach Your Baby to Chew
Feeding Milestones for Babies and Toddlers
Alisha Grogan is a licensed occupational therapist and founder of Your Kid’s Table. She has over 19 years experience with expertise in sensory processing and feeding development in babies, toddlers, and children. Alisha also has 3 boys of her own at home. Learn more about her here.
Hi, my 11 month food refuse to eat finger foods. She plays with it but wont put it in her mouth and if i put a tiny piece she freaks out. She wants it out of her mouth and starts somewhat gagging until she swallows it or i mange to take it out of her mouth. She long eats her puree which she loves and her baby fruits or yogurt. Should i be worried..
Oh Marcia, yes, this is something I’ve seen many times. Head to How to Transition to Table Foods, I’ve got a whole tutorial there and a free printable. Make sure you sign up for that because, in a few weeks, I’m doing a whole free 1 hour workshop on this, it will be perfect for you!
Hello. Im so thankful i found this. My almost 15month old has been exclusively breastfed completely. Initially he took to purees but that stopped a while ago. He enjoys junk stuff like crackers, puffs, etc and will try to kill an entire bag if you let him. He used to love fruit in his mesh thingy also but that changed. He does drink water (loads of it) and recently began enjoying sips of almond milk from a cup. Unfortunately, beyond puffs, he will just touch other foods but is unwilling to try it.
He has always been smaller than the norm but his growth is on track with his chart. He has been walking since 10 months and speaks alot (in his own language of course).
Please any tips. It’s like he stares and will watch me eat….he will touch my food, the fork, everything. Just when you try to give him some….he is outta there. Help!
#1sttimemom
Hey Brittany,
We can relate to what is happening! Great job at offering foods for him! I’d suggest you starting with our free workshop! This can help with which foods to try next for ease of chewing and move you through. Also this will help set up a positive environment for feeding. You can save your seat HERE
Best,
Desiree
I have a 3 year old who has had an issue with food the moment I started weaning, up until 6 months he was actually quite good at eating the baby food but struggled with table food, over time he progressed and will eat by himself sausage, egg, toast, Turkey, pasta, cheese, yoghurt, sandwiches etc he was really good with porridge and weetabix but has always gagged a fair bit not at every meal but from time to time resultingin full on vomiting if he doesn’t like what’s in his mouth, yet can shovel cheese sandwich and chicken nuggets in no problem, on and off even the mention of food makes him heave, should I be concerned, he’s had a number of visits with toddler food OT’s but no success with the techniques we have been using, he has gotten steadily better than a year ago but still seems to have a negative reaction go most table food which I feel healthy
I’d keep an eye on it, and may be helpful to try and find a feeding therapist that fits an approach you like. I also have a picky eating program that works on these issues as well, you can learn my top strategies (as the first steps) in this free workshop: yourkidstable.com/free
Actually I have a question. My daughter just turned 7 months old. Last month i was given the ok to start giving her solids. I bought a multi pack of Gerber fruit. It had bananas, apples, and pears. I nursed her first then i gave her some of her fruit. She ended up with such a gut ache that i ended up giving her some tylenol. Now that she’s 7 months old . I just got diagnosed with mastitis on my right side and am on an antibiotic. She now barely nurses, her doctor told me that i should substitute with formula and some solid foods. She gaged as soon as the tip of the bottle touched her tongue, she gaged when she got a taste of the formula, and she gaged as soon as i introduced her to vegetables. I bought jared vegetables, but without the additives. As soon as a little bit touched her tongue she started gagging. I’ve tried 4 different kinds and she gaged on all of them. I even tried adding it to rice cereal and she again gagged. So is it possible that she’s just not ready. I’m at a loss. My 3 other kids never had these problems . And their completely grown up. With no issues. I’m at a loss.
It is so hard! I’d definitely mention it to your doctor, but in the mean time, I’m going to direct you to this post on transitioning your baby to table foods- he’s a little young for that, but pay attention to the part about tooth brushing that could help a lot!
Hi there, my 18 month old baby girl throws herself to the floor and cries everytime she sees food or we offer food to her, this has been going on since she was 9 months old, also she doesn’t like to feed herself, throws food on the floor when she’s in the high chair, any advise would be very appreciated, I am considering feeding therapy, thanks in advance!
Hey Gabriel!
We totally get it and understand how hard this is! I’d start with our free workshop as it provides ideas for setting up mealtimes as well as what foods to offer when. You can save your seat HERE. Also, if you are looking into feeding therapy we have an article that reviews the types of therapy HERE.
Best,
Desiree
There’s something called eosinophilic esophagitus (sp?) which my nephew was finally diagnosed with at age 17. His father is an MD, but the parents and the pediatrician were all certain his problem with refusing meals but begging for dessert (usually in their family that is something wet like ice cream, pudding, or fruit pies), eating incredibly slowly, gagging, and vomiting foods were due to allergies. It turns out the primary problem was that his esophagus diameter was too tiny. It is a frequently misdiagnosed and undiagnosed problem, from what they learned now.
Hi Alisha. Can you please advise me on what I should do? My 12mo son met most of his gross motor skills early, started walking at 8mo and really well at 10mo, is climbing up chairs etc. Fine motor skills are lacking. He doesn’t seem to have interest in stacking blocks, talking (still saying ma ma, da da, that’s about it), doesn’t put objects into boxes (but will take them out), and….does not feed himself. I had thought that maybe he was just slower in one area then the other but his doctor was concerned during his 1yr exam.
In regards to the feeding. He will take bottles just fine and just started to take a granola bar or cracker (YAY). Aside from that, since about 8mo I have been trying finger foods such as avocado, peas, tofu, steamed veggies, blue berries, cut strawberries….with most all foods/especially at first, he makes a squished face as if they are sour. With most all finger foods (especially initially) he would gag even with them at the tip of his tongue (clearly not far back in his mouth). He doesn’t vomit, sometimes spits food out, other times chokes it down but doesn’t want the bottle when trying to swallow it. I backed off for a intermittently thinking he is not ready but, now that his doc has said something I’m trying to make this happen. I started giving him finger foods 3-5x/day every day and have him sit in the highchair to feed himself even if he makes a big mess/throws it on the floor etc. When I feed him the small finger foods he takes them but he will not bring them to his mouth himself. He only pokes the food and sometimes scoops it up with his full hand then throws it on the ground as to see how and where it will fall. He does this even w/some of the food he seems to love (if i feed it to him). Since his fine motor skill are lacking in general we are scheduled for a screening to make sure the delay isn’t r/t a spectrum of ASD. Reading this article I see the eating problems can be something different? Do you have any particular advise that can help me make the best use of our time helping him?
Thank you!
So glad you have an eval scheduled, I think that will be very helpful! It sounds like oral motor may be involved too, I’d check this article, as well as this one on how to transition to table foods.
Hi Jennifer,
I read about your son and can’t help but think that my 12 month son does almost all these things.
I read that your son was to undergo ASD eval. I’m thinking the same for my son. Could u pls let me know how did the ASD eval go for ur son or should I delay the ASD eval further for my son.
A very concerned mom
Shruti
Hi, my grandson is 3 1/2 yrs old. He does not eat ANY food besides fruit. He will eat strawberries, oranges, grapes and he absolutely loves pickles. He will not eat and we have tried every to get him to take a bite of anything. We have to beg him to take a bite of a fry and he will take a bite but have that gross look on hi face and eventually start to gag. His pediatrician says he is fine. He is not fine, I understand the phase of no eating but this has been going on since he started his transition to solid food. He has never wanted to eat.
Hi,
I understand how challenging this must be for your family!! I’d recommend trying to start doing some play with foods, outside of mealtime to make it fun for him and get him used to touching of new foods (as this is the first step in eating). I do think that another good place to start is our free picky eating workshop, which will provide you with suggestions for setting up mealtimes to decrease the stress and help your child develop positive relationship with food so that he wants to touch, taste and eat the foods. You can save your seat here
Best,
Desiree
Does pocketing her food affect a child’s speech? Does weakness in oral motor skills cause speech delay?
It’s quite possible that there’s an overlap in oral motor skills and speech. Also, pocketing could affect her speech if she’s holding onto a lot and it’s physically difficult to talk as a result.
Hi, my 12th month old son refuses to be fed any food, unless he himself is the one to put it into his mouth. he”ll put different finger foods in his mouth, but he wont swallow it, he spits it right out. he is nursing like a baby every two three hours. seems afraid to either swallow the food, or not sure what to do with the food in his mouth.
Hi Esther, I have two posts that I think will be really helpful. First is babies that won’t eat solids and the other is transitioning to table foods. Check those out and let us know if you have more questions.
My daughter is 20 months old and she has not been a good eater since i started solids.she was always fed with rhymes, playing etc.there were days she ate without any issues but the bottom line of my concern is she doesn’t chew her food always she wants to swallow it.she has 4 upper and 3 lower teeth.For the past 1 month its even more worst that she spits the food even with distraction..what i need to do is give her food and give her one spoon of water then she just swallows the food..if i don’t give her water she just spits the food..sometimes even with water she spits the food..she is not a self fed child but she happily takes the porridges without spitting…am so worried and depressed because of her eating habits..i need some experts advice to help me to correct it. i don’t like to feed her like this because i know that this is not right but i am forced to do it just to ensure she is not starving.
please help me.
thanks.
I totally get it! It gets really hard. I’m so glad you left this comment right now, because I have a free workshop for babies and toddlers that are having a hard time learning to eat table foods. It’s perfect for you. It’s definitely expert advice. You can grab a spot here.
For now, I’d focus on some crunchy foods like puffs that melt easily! I’ll talk more about why in the workshop.
Hello! My 19 month old eats very little food. He is breastfed and still nurses on demand several times a day. I do offer food first. He eats quite a variety of food and textures but eats very little. Nearly everytime he eats well, he ends up vomiting . Today he ate about 1/4 of a large peach, and 1/4 of a Hot Pocket. I was SO excited that he was doing so well. His last bite of Hot Pocket was a bit big, he gagged and immediately threw up. Nearly everytime he eats enough that I get excited, it ends with him vomiting. It is VERY rare for him to refuse food all together, but often he takes 5 bites or fewer. Thoughts? Suggestions?
It sounds like he’s having a bit of a hard time with larger bites. I’d cut the pieces for him, give them one at a time for a little while so you can manage closely. I’d also demonstrate chewing for him, show him how the food goes in the back of your teeth. This will take a lot of repetition. Also check out transitioning babies to table foods, I think it will be helpful. And, of course make sure your doctor is aware of these challenges:)
I have a 4 yr old son who was never fed other than formula, maybe baby oatmeal and during teething, was only given a silicone spatula, but his grands never stopped to think if he was actually hungry. He diet consists of Crackers (Ritz, Club and Cheezits) Party confetti muffins, French fries and bananas. He is also not talking. We live in Franklin County Pa. Is there any place we can go to for help?
Hey Scott,
We’re glad you found us! It can be really tough when our kids don’t eat too much. We don’t have recommendations for specific therapists in the area, but it sounds like your family would be a great fit for our free picky eating workshop. You can save your seat HERE. Let us know if you have any questions!
Best,
Andrea
Hello,
My 17 month old will not eat table foods for me. He will eat the stage 3 fruits but nothing else stage 3 and he spits out table foods. He was born only weighing 1lb 8oz. So he is behind but I know he can chew fine. I don’t know how to get him to stop spitting out table foods.
He might be having trouble swallowing the food or managing it inside of his mouth. I’d focus on crunchy foods like puffs and giving him a quick drink of water to help him swallow. I have more tips in how to transition to table foods that I think will be helpful!
My 14 month old has most of these red flags and I feel hopeless at times like what did I do wrong ? he had evaluation just waiting on the call back but we definitely need help plz let me know what I can start doing I don’t want him to fall more behind
Oh my gosh, not your fault at all. He likely has some underlying difficulties. Check out this post on 5 Reasons Kids Don’t Eat that will help explain and give you some specific strategies.
My 14 month old daughter has some unusual eating patterns, and I’m wondering if there is enough going on to do some kind of formal evaluations or if we just mention to the pediatrician next month. As a young infant she gagged when we tried to introduce bottles and pacifiers but did just fine with the breast. Introducing solids was painfully slow… she has never and still never lets us use a spoon to feed her and of course hates anything resembling puree. We finally figured out she would eat some table foods around 8 months, but only if she was the one doing the feeding. She also seemed to push food out of her mouth for quite a while.
Those certainly could all be red flags, but if she’s eating well on her own and getting enough food, she may not need an eval. However, if you live in the states you are able to receive a free eval in your home. Check out this post on feeding therapy to learn more!
Hi Alisha- I have a 15 month old that has trouble with table foods. He loves purees and will suck them down right from a pouch, and he will eat any kind of crunchy solid, like crackers, cookies, chips, puffs, baby snacks etc. He will also eat from my hand things like cereal bars or even take a bit of banana. And he will let me feed him other smooth foods like yogurt or oatmeal. But he will not eat much of anything from his tray. No pieces of fruit or veggie, he’ll take a bit of pasta but then spit it out. He won’t eat meats. Basically the only thing he picks up himself to eat is crackers etc. I’m starting to get worried because he is underweight (<3rd percentile) and he does seem hungry. He could eat 3 pouches in a single sitting, but he can't live off pouches forever! Do you have any advice for us?
Try this article on High Calorie Baby Foods. It sounds like that there may be some underlying sensory issues as well going on. But, before you address that, I would suggest getting some foundation tips that you can get in my free picky eating workshop.
Hi Alisha,
My 20 month old son has basically the same eating habits as this woman’s. Only difference is he’ll eat bananas and some fruits like watermelon and apples.
He wasn’t always like this though. He used to eat very well, everything except for vegetables, cheese, eggs and pasta. He ate most meats and fruits and some unusual foods like falafel, hummus, goat cheese, ricotta, asparagus (pureed), spaghetti squash.
Then shortly after his 18 month doctors appt, he just stopped. One thing after another fell off his will eat list. Now he will only eat his various pouches, yogurt, crackers, bananas, apples, watermelon, french toast, waffles, and chicken nuggets (Chick-fil-A only).
Do you think he developed a sensory issue? Is he just a picky eater? Is this just a phase/ power struggle between us now that he’s a toddler?
I still present him with real food at every meal– he just won’t touch it. If I lift it to his face he shakes his head no and turns away. I’ve tried everything and am deaparate to get him back to where he was.
I know it’s incredibly frustrating and confusing! First, I’d check out Why Kids Don’t Eat, do any of the reasons from that post jump out at you? It’s quite possible it’s his age.
Also, I’d start with the free picky eating workshop I have. It’s all online, just pick the time you can watch. I think it will be really helpful 🙂
Hello there, my little boy is 18 months old. He eats macaroni and cheese, pasta, pizza, grilled cheese, yogurt, avocado, chicken nuggets, bread, eggs, beans, tortillas and gerber pouches. He pretty much inhales them but when I give him cooked or raw vegetables or fruit he turns his head or spits them out. He has a good appetite and his weight is fine. How can I encourage him to eat them?
This can be tricky, it’s normal at his age. One strategy is teach him how to use dips. It may take some getting used to on his part, but try a variety and see if one or two sticks!
Hi Alisha,
So i tried some of the things you suggested for getting babies to eat. My 8 month old has been refusing baby food for 2 months. She’ll put puffs in her mouth but the same thing basically happens. Mouth opens, tongue stays out, drools horribly, spitting up follows. I have placed her in her chair with a dollop of food three times a day. Trying to make it positive. (Eek it’s messy!) she plays and if any goes in her mouth the drill continues. Mouth, tongue, drool. How long should I do this before intervention? She is a really good breast feeder but that is it. Refuses bottles too.
Hi,
I have a 20month old that only eats soft and pureed foods. His meals consists of pureed foods and hot cereal. Everyday I give him some kind of table food to try like fruits, noodles and meats. He chews them until there is no more juice in it and then spits it back out. I’m not sure if it’s because he can’t swallow foods with texture. When given soft noodles, breads, cooked carrots, even fried yams, basically anything that can be chewed to mush or melts in mouth, he can swallow. But things like chicken and vegetables, I have never gotten him to successfully eat. Is it a developmental problem? What can be done?
It sounds like there might be some red flags. I would definitely check with your pediatrician and your state early intervention program. You can read more about that in this post. I’d also check out this guide on how to transition to table foods, I think it would be really helpful for you.
My son is 18 months now and he still doesn’t do finger food. He Will eat banana with his hand but nothing else. I currently feed him Gerber’ s Lil’ meals and he eats those pretty well. But if I offer him other fruits, crackers, or puffs for him to try he would play with them and eventually throw them off the tray. I tried letting him feed himself a bowl of oatmeal and he pretty quickly flipped the bowl spilling the whole content on the tray and played with the food. I want to give him more chances to feed himself but he makes major mess and throw the food off the tray so I get discouraged.
He is also small both height and weight wise for his age. I am so stressed out about his eating!
How do I encourage him to try putting food in his mouth (he has no issues putting everything else in his mouth) and chew for once?
I totally get how stressful this can be! I’ve helped a lot of families through this. I’ve written a couple of other articles that i think will be really helpful. I’d check out Self Feeding and How to Transition to Table Foods. Also, make sure you sign up for the free printable. I’m working on a free workshop to help parents with this right now and you’ll be one of the first to know.