Desperately need advice
How do you get your almost 4 year old to eat on their own? It’s like I have to force my child to eat. She eats very slow and small amounts but when I tell her that I am taking away the food, she throws a tantrum. She likes to also play with her food until she ends up losing her appetite. I will tell her to eat about 50 times and it’s getting frustrating. She doesn’t sit still when eating and it’s all over the place even when she’s in the high chair, but worst when she goes to restaurants.
Please help me!!
I’d say keep feeding her—she’ll learn when she’s ready. My now 17-year-old didn’t start feeding himself until he was 5, and my 11-year-old began around 4, almost 5. I still feed my April 2021 baby because I prefer avoiding the mess and find that feeding them myself helps them eat more. My older kids eventually just grabbed the spoon on their own and decided they were ready, and that’s how they became independent with feeding. They’ll do it when they’re ready. I let them handle their snacks on their own, but I still feed them their main meals.