Why do/are babies....?

[snowboarder]

Ok. So I've established over the last year that babies are a confusing breed. Don't seem to follow all the normal rules. I have some questions....I need answers and maybe other questions will crop up along the way....

1. What is WITH the throwing food (and toys I suppose, but it's the food that bothers me) off the highchair tray? Baby SB seems too young to really think it's a game and he does it sometimes very seriously, sometimes very off hand - like - get this out of my face, mummy. I'm finding it v irritating (tired!) especially as spoon feeding is apparently not acceptable now, therefore most of meal on the floor.

2. Why so inconsistent? You think they like something, then they hate it, then like again....

3. And my real biggie....why oh why won't they sleep?

4. Despite above..why am I unable to leave bsb, harden up and get tough on sleeping/b/feeding horrors, sort out all the other issues, and head off back to work and recover former self?!?

[ymenik21]

I would love to meet you snowboarder I have one baby but oh when it comes to food I can bear it anymore.My hubby thinks I am going mad and I think I am too.She seems to be feeding on air these days.I think I am too depressed my self to give you any advice but here is a big hug I know the feeling. XX

[snowboarder]

We can meet! The hilarious thing about the eating traumas is baby sb by no means looks malnourished!! It must be the all night milk bar he indulges in.....

[Mellors]

The food thing is REALLY annoying. I bought a few plastic sheets like the ones they draw on from Morrisons for 99p each. Stick one under the chair at the beginning of the day, then chuck it in the washer at the end. I don't think my kitchen floor will ever recover from stuck on banana though.

My daughter is going through a phase of pushing me away like I am the world's worst mother when there is anyone else around e.g. daddy, but the minute I try and leave her with somebody so I cna escape e.g. at the creche going mental and being the clingiest baby in the world like only mummy will do. Why?!

Who'd have 'em?!

[Sanne Panne]

Sounds a bit like baby Sanne when she was 7 months old.. She's now 17 months old and a great sleeper and eater and she shakes her head when she's done eating (though she sometimes still throws her water cup on the floor, let me not brag too much...). She still drives me nuts sometimes (when they sleep and eat well they'll come up with something else, like getting REALLY cranky when she wants to walk but I need her to be in the buggy) but yes I'm still at home with her most of the time too. How old is baby sb?

[lorraineliyanage]

I moved my daughter around 13 months out of the highchair onto a little table and chair and she loves mealtime much more as she feels more like an adult now! She also has the same little table and chair at nursery so perhaps that's why she didn't like the highchair. We've had much less food flinging since we ditched the highchair.

[Susie1791]

My little boy is 17 months also and I have the same dramas with the food throwing, it drives me mad, my husband is much more patient with it and our little boy eats better for him which I find so frustrating, he most likely picks up on my frustration which is the reason why, breakfast is fine, it's never a drama but lunch and dinner normally results in the bowl being flung off the high chair, if I try feed him he refuses and if I leave him to it, it ends up on the floor. Some days he will happily eat everything, next day it's nothing. Plus, he's not very good with finger food, don't think he likes the messy feel so if it won't go on a fork or spoon he's not interested. Arrrgghh :-)

[lorraineliyanage]

I used to strip my daughter down to her babygro or nappy for the nighttime feed and let her be as messy as she liked, then chuck her in the bath afterwards.

Sanne - we have the same thing with the water cup, that gets flung all over, usually when she's done eating, she likes to tip the sippy cup upside down and empty out as much water as possible. However, if she finds a cloth, she'll start mopping up her mess, although she usually mops a patch that isn't wet!

[legalbeagle]

My son was a terrible eater too. He would do all the throwing stuff etc, but he had an even more special trick. If he ate something he didn't like, rather than spit it out, he'd just vomit. Everything in his stomach. So then you had to start all over again....... You have my sympathy, a bad eater is a huge pain. I used to take some of his favourite toys to the table and let him play with them and then sneak a few moutfulls of food in while he was distraced. Time consuming, but it did work.

Good luck and remember, whatever impression your child is giving you at the moment, you are doing your best and no doubt doing very well!!

[redjam]

Wow, vomiting to order, that's hardcore. I thought my kids were pretty fussy eaters (and the gaps between the floorboards in our kitchen - filled with impossible-to-reach discarded food - bear testament to this), but that's impressive. Think the prize goes to baby legalbeagle, unless anyone can top that?!

[SteveT]

According to my older sisters I would call the dog during stew eating times, and then tip it over the animals head, it was a cocker spaniel and so it was able to lick the gravy off it's ears.

I was set a place at the table and I messed about with the meal and was taken back to the high chair for a couple of days which I was furious about, but I never messed around again.

[bee74]

Snowboarder, how old is your baby? Sounds very similar to mine, who is 13 months in 3 days.

I like Lorraine's suggestion of the little table (althogh M doesn't go to nursery so doesn't have a point of reference there.) But I do also let him get on with it - most of the time. I do a mix of spoon and self/finger feeding and it does get oh so messy. What annoys me most is the waste of good food and keep thinking it would not happen in other countries. We are going to India for a month on Thu. Been several time but it's the first time with a baby so I am really curious to see how little ones do there, esp with food and nappies. Will report back if they have any interesting tricks.

As far as the inconsistencies - I guess they are still working things out and finding their way around the world. M loved bananas and now he is not bothered and I can think it is only because he is experiencing other tastes and just being curious about trying new stuff. He is into Organix cheese puffs now... He is also quite inconsistent about sleeping. One morning is 6 am the next 7.15 (more rarely, believe me!). Again, I think it might depend on what time he got up in the morning, how long he napped in the afternoon and how much he did (how tired he got!). When we go to his swim lessons he always has a long nap!

[sunbob]

re:Why won't they sleep-

My little one has never (in 11 months) gone into her cot for a day time snooze - until 5 days ago!!! She has allowed me to put her in at 11am for the last 5 days in a row for an hour and I am on cloud nine! This morning I actually had time to do all the basic housework and then sit and drink a cup of tea!!!! Hopefully they all turn little corners gradually as they grow up.

[legalbeagle]

redjam Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Wow, vomiting to order, that's hardcore. I

> thought my kids were pretty fussy eaters (and the

> gaps between the floorboards in our kitchen -

> filled with impossible-to-reach discarded food -

> bear testament to this), but that's impressive.

> Think the prize goes to baby legalbeagle, unless

> anyone can top that?!

Thanks redjam - not the sort of prize I was hoping my little darlings would collect but whaddaya do?!

[lorraineliyanage]

bee74 - try out a table if you have the space. i know that my daughter has definitely acted more grown up since going to nursery (only a couple of days a week) which is a good counterbalance to do 2 days she spends with my parents who baby her loads (they still puree her food at 15 months, arrgh!)

[Pickle]

Ha ha, Lorraine that's classic that your parents do that - M would look at me in disgust if I presented her with a plate of puree!

[snowboarder]

For those who asked...baby SB is a grand 9 months now. He's driving me mad today.

so 2 more questions!

baby jet lag - we got back from Australia on saturday and sleep is still all over the place (ha more so than usual) - those veteran travellers amongst us got any tips? He is crashing around 3.30pm for what I think is his afternoon nap but he seems to think it's bed time - I woke him after an hour yesterday (unthinkable length of nap for him!) and he screamed until I put him to bed. But was pretty much awake from 2am. ARGH it wasn't this bad on the way out....

Sore thumb - he sucks his poor thumb so much it is all cracked and bleeding - but if I put anything on it he cries as he can't suck it.........

[Pickle]

Jet lag is always so much worse when you get back from a holiday!

Stick it out, I've always found it takes a good week or two for sleep patterns in the kids to get back to normal. Try to stick to a normal routine as much as possible, it'll gradually get better :)

[lorraineliyanage]

Pickle, I could give you a list of crazy stuff that they do. My mum still sterilises her sippy cup & bottle. She got mad at me for not using cooled boiled water for her sippy cup - I use tap water. She shouted at me not to do that. I said why. Her response: "because it may cause her problems in the future". Eh?

There are more other bonkers things - oh yes, over Christmas, she put Iris to bed by rubbing her back until she fell asleep. We just give her a bottle then chuck her in bed. She came home demanding back rubs every time she was put down in the cot. Arrrgh!

Having said that, as much as my parents drive me mad, their help is invaluable!