https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 12 Apr 2026 14:30:02 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-a-busy-toddler-to-stop-and-eat#post-2687802 Thu, 26 Jan 2017 22:50:02 +0000 caterw 2687802@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our kid has to sit in her high chair and eat. I often feed her still even though she is 3. She is a very busy little person and she is super chatty so she would never eat if I didn't make her sit still and physically put food in her mouth. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-a-busy-toddler-to-stop-and-eat#post-2687525 Thu, 26 Jan 2017 16:14:28 +0000 SweetiePie 2687525@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Dahlia: same as PP. The only option for meals and most snacks is highchair. We just don't give in. If he got up that meant meal was over, not that the meal followed him. It's hard! But now at 2.4 he just knows and doesn't fight it. He gets excited when they bring his highchair at a restaurant. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-a-busy-toddler-to-stop-and-eat#post-2687500 Thu, 26 Jan 2017 15:56:47 +0000 Dahlia 2687500@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sounds like we need to get stricter about sitting in the chair for meals. I don't think any of us can handle the freedom of her little table. Thanks for telling me what I think I already knew we needed to do, but didn't want to admit! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-a-busy-toddler-to-stop-and-eat#post-2687497 Thu, 26 Jan 2017 15:55:09 +0000 kiddosc 2687497@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just don't make it an option. They have to sit in the high chair for meals and snacks and if they're running from a table, back into the high chair. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-a-busy-toddler-to-stop-and-eat#post-2687492 Thu, 26 Jan 2017 15:52:44 +0000 sauerkraut 2687492@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I often watch my 2.5 year old niece and I have two strategies: First, I put food out in her play area and redirect her back to her snacks every so often to have another bite or a sip of her smoothie or whatever. Second, I give her at least one meal at the table where I sit and eat with her, and if she asks to get down or go do something else, I tell her we're eating now, and we'll go when we're both done. I usually talk to her/play with her/play with the food, whatever during this time to keep her sitting at the table for 10 or 15 minutes. I don't stress too much if she just wants to play and not eat in either scenario, but I try to make sure she gets lots of chances to eat during the day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-a-busy-toddler-to-stop-and-eat#post-2687487 Thu, 26 Jan 2017 15:50:23 +0000 PawPrints 2687487@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I feel like it's really important to resist the toddler pull toward all-day grazing. It's a terrible habit - for their teeth, for nutrition, for developing the ability to appreciate a meal, etc. It can be tough though. I would try to encourage her to eat more during meal/snack time if possible, and then later when she melts down from hunger you can offer her the leftovers from earlier but do insist that she sit down in her chair while she eats.</p> <p>A lot of the time when DD says she isn't hungry, if I can get her to sit down and I put something she really loves directly in front of her face, then she suddenly realizes she's hungry after all. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-a-busy-toddler-to-stop-and-eat#post-2687454 Thu, 26 Jan 2017 15:26:48 +0000 catgirl 2687454@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD is 2 and has every meal in a high chair. She doesn't have to eat but she has to stay in until everyone is done. She usually eats because she knows she is stuck there anyway. We generally don't do snacks but if we do them at home they are in the high chair. For us it's easier to always stick with the high chair even if she goes through stages of not liking it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-a-busy-toddler-to-stop-and-eat#post-2687435 Thu, 26 Jan 2017 15:12:25 +0000 LindsayLou 2687435@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My kiddo is 17 months. She sits in her high chair for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Snacks however, are on the go. I try to offer her small snacks throughout the day, and she'll also sign for more when she's hungry. I'll offer a couple apple slices, a cheese stick or piece of cheese, a few pieces of a mandarin orange, a few cherios or goldfish in a snack trap, a graham cracker, a few bites of yogurt (she does have to sit for this one), a small piece of bread or toast, a few pecans, a piece of banana, etc. I pretty much let her run around with the food, but she's also usually a pretty neat eater. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-a-busy-toddler-to-stop-and-eat#post-2687315 Thu, 26 Jan 2017 14:08:35 +0000 Dahlia 2687315@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Lately DD has been constantly on the go, and I can't get her to stop long enough to eat much. If I put her in her high chair she'll eat a few bites and then scream to get down, and if we eat at her little table she'll eat a few bites and then run off. </p> <p>I thought maybe she's just not hungry, but then she'll have meltdowns a bit later because she's starving. Any advice? Do toddlers just graze all day? </p>