Eating for babysitter but not parents...

[Cathy]

I'm wondering if anyone can shed some light on a problem I am having with my 24 month old son? He eats very well for the babysitter but not for my husband and myself. This has been going on since the start of table food well over a year ago. He goes to the babysitter's house Monday through Friday 9am to 4:30pm. The babysitter has shown me video clips of him eating blueberries, tomatoes, peas, grapes, sweet potatoes, green beans, etc. He refuses to eat these things for me though? If I put them on his plate, he gets so mad, he won't eat anything. I always offer new foods for him to try but he won't budge. But he will eat anything the babysitter puts in front of him. What is going on here??? I've been told it's a phase but this has been going on for over a year now. The babysitter tells me he is such a good kid and eats so well for her. She calls him an "angel". When he gets home, he goes into meltdown mode and is cranky most of the evening and won't eat much of anything for me. I'm so exhausted and frustrated by not understanding this behavior that I just don't know what to do anymore. I feel like an inadequate mom that can't make her own child happy. The babysitter gets the good kid that eats healthy and is happy and I get the cranky kid that won't eat much of anything. Will this ever change or get better???

[gorgeousmom]

What happens if you feed your son at the babysitters or the babysitter feeds him at your house? I would be so frustrated too. Some things I do to make meal time fun is having a "picnic" on the front room floor. I lay out a blanket and hand feed my little ones. They love it! They are so excited to eat and run around. Also, when I'm desparate, I stick them in front of the tv while I'm feeding them. They eat a lot more this way. Try you feed me, then I'll feed you. Make it as fun as you can.

[Cathy]

Thanks for your response. I have not tried to feed him at the babysitter's house nor has she tried at my house. I work full time so that kind of time is really not available. My babysitter use to feed the kids she watches "picnic style" but they eat at the table now I guess. He eats with other kids for lunch at the babysitter's house but he's an only child at home so I'm wondering if that has anything to do with it? I'm a problem solver so this may only be hurting me at this point. If there's a problem, I go to the root of the problem and try to fix it. Maybe there is no fixing this? It is what it is and perhaps I need to just let it be? I just don't understand why this is going on???

[gorgeousmom]

Well, relax then. He'll eat if/when he's hungry. My daughter is 2 1/2 and she eats about 4 bites at each meal. If we're at a party or a restaurant she'll eat more. I just let her know that food is always available and I'm always asking her if she wants something to eat. She's healthy and surprisingly, gaining weight. I imagine your son is too. I hope the best for you.

[hhudson]

OMG....reading this made me laugh bc my son is 22 months old and does the EXCACT same thing. he has went to the same babysitter since he was 7 months old so she introduced table food to him at the same time we did at home. when he first started eating table food i was not a chef by any means but the babysitter always cook from scrach homemade meals. since i have started cooking better and more often but every time we eat he ask for pizza! well he will eat meatloaf and any veggitable she wants to give him with no questions asked. i have come to the conclusion that all the other BIG kids at the babysitters are eating the same thing (he is the youngest one) so maybe he is trying to act like the bigger kids. he is getting alot better as far as atleast the eating goes. my son is also very tired and cranky when he comes home so what i have been doing is letting him take a power nap or quite time on the couch while i fix dinner that way he is in a good mood while we eat and do our bedtime routine. i hope this helps

[tbartrx]

My son has the same issue. He has stopped eating for everyone with the exception of the babysitter since he was 10 months old. He is now 2.5 years old. He eats everything at daycare even veggies. I don't think being around other kids makes a difference. He attends birthday parties with the same kids but doesn't eat. We have tried everything but nothing works. He will cry for hours if you try to make him eat. I don't understand it we have watched him eat at daycare...he even asks to eat when he's there. She tells me eats seconds and wants to be fed first. It's been occuring too long for this to be just a phase. Can anyone help?

[northernva.mommy]

My kids always seem to eat best when they are with their friends. My pediatrician always said they will eat when they are hungry. I try to offer healthy mini meals throughout the day. That way when they graze, they are eventually getting full meals, just spread out.