Frustration

Since birth, Jackson has been a healthy eater.  I have never had problems getting him to take a bottle and he hasn't turned down most of the purees we have tried to feed him.  On the eating front, he has done really well until recently.  He is still eating well as long as we are feeding him the level 2 foods or the basic level 3s.  But if we try to introduce something new, we are meeting with a lot of resistance and issues.  I know a child has to be introduced to a new food numerous times before the accept it but I'm having a hard time figuring out how to proceed from here.

We have reached the point where we need to work on the transition from baby food to table food.  And this is where I am struggling.  I just can't seem to figure out how to make finger foods work.  I don't know what to give him and what little we have tried, has not gone well.  We have been giving him the baby puffs to some success but I know we can't make full meals off of puffs.  We have also tried some of the level 3 meals (the ones with the chunks) with him and I end up wearing more of it than he actually eats.

Truth is, I feel like I'm failing at figuring out how to feed my child right now.  Part of me wonders if Jackson is ready for the transition and part of me wonders if I am being lazy for not trying harder right now.  I'm concerned that I am behind on trying to make this happen even though I know there is no set time schedule for when to do this.  I really just need someone to give me a step-by-step way of handling this so I feel like I have some control over what is going on and I don't continue to feel like I am hurting my child by not giving him what he needs.

Comments

Gina said…
None of my kids liked stage 3 foods. I think it was the combination of textures...if they were eating purées, they didn't want to be bothered with having to chew chunks. So they didn't, and they gagged on the chunks. So, I just skip those. I give Finn some of whatever we are eating, usually just cut up in small bites and put on his high chair tray for him to feed himself, and then if he doesn't eat enough for my liking, I give him a container of stage 2 fruit or veggie. It can be really frustrating, but one day it'll just click with him and he'll start eating good again.
May 24, 2012 at 2:20 PM
Julie said…
Seriously, I think that is exactly what I need to hear. That is exactly how J is reacting to the level 3's and my dining room can't handle it much longer.
May 24, 2012 at 3:16 PM
Michele said…
I agree with Gina. I'd stick to a stage 2 veggie or something, and tiny bites of whatever else you're having. He's get it. Have you tried giving him a banana (whole, with supervision) and see what he does with it? That was one of James' first "real foods," and he loved it! To this day, he has never refused a banana.
May 24, 2012 at 3:17 PM
Gina said…
Finn likes bananas too. And he can tear up some shredded cheese. If I need to buy myself a few minutes until supper is done, I put a little shredded cheese on his tray and he's good to go.
May 24, 2012 at 3:28 PM
Elsha said…
We also skipped the jarred baby food with chunks and went straight to table food. And with that I think one of the big things is that you can't worry about the mess (because there is gonna be a mess.) My sister took a HILARIOUS video of Will eating applesauce with his hands because he was too young to handle a spoon but too impatient for me to feed him. Any food can be finger food :)
May 24, 2012 at 5:05 PM
CraftyHope said…
I really wish I could help with this one, but with no kids of my own I have no idea. I can hear your exasperation in this post though and just wanted to let you know that I hope it works out. The advice from these other ladies sounds great too!
May 25, 2012 at 10:12 AM
Jessica said…
I'd just offer him food off your plates/ on his tray during dinner, then purees as needed after. I never did anything to transition my kids to table foods - they basically did it themselves whenever they were ready. Paul's current favorites are chunks of pears and cantaloupe. He also likes cooked plain pasta (which I suppose is pretty worthless nutritionally, but at least then he's eating the same thing as us. I just take some out before adding sauce, etc for the rest of us.)(He'd probably eat the sauce - and does steal bites from us - but sometimes you just don't want the mess, you know?)
May 25, 2012 at 10:16 PM
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