Will I ever get to eat a whole banana again?!

Most days if I eat a banana it’s either a half left over from my little one’s lunch or I only get half because he’s desperate to share. Food is different now.

Here are the things I’ve learnt from feeding my toddler…

#1 Some toddlers eat well. Some don’t. Mine is an eater.

#2 Whatever you have on your plate is better than what they have on theirs. Even if it is EXACTLY the same food.

#3 You’ll offer them some of your food, they’ll decline, so you salt it (I really love seasoning!) and then they decide they would like it and they would like it desperately.

#4 I generally love sharing, it brings me a great deal of joy to enjoy something alongside someone else but the ‘shove it in my mouth whilst toddler looks away’ action has become a little too common for me. Cupboard and fridge doors are a favourite of mine for hiding the fact that I’m shoving a whole biscuit in my mouth from my toddler!

#5 Feeding kids together is really cute and I love watching him sit near his buddies. However, some kids (like mine) steal food. And the speed with which he steals food is impressive.

#6 Leaning towards your toddler with a piece of bread in your hand may cause them to believe they’re getting a piece of bread. If they don’t get the bread, tears are likely…

#7 Dropping a biscuit = tears…

#8 Basically, any kind of food related disappointment + a hungry, tired toddler = tears

#9 If your toddler eats things they shouldn’t, e.g. sand or soap, the ‘I’ll let him keep going until he realises it’s disgusting’ method may not work. You may need to intervene as handful number 5 of sand makes its way to their mouth (I just kept waiting for the learning moment and it didn’t come!)

#10 Your toddler will not stop when they are full. I am constantly astounded by the amount my toddler can pack away, if he wasn’t on the go ALL the time he would literally the size of a horse! My role as ‘feeder’ is also the role of constant ‘what’s an appropriate amount for someone so small to eat’ monitor.

#11 You’ll make your kid their own meal because you think your chilli satay stir fry is way too spicy for them. If they’re desperate for yours then you let them try it and you might discover that you have a spice loving baby!

#12 The ‘find something he doesn’t like’ game is fun. As yet, I’ve got nothing!

My little guy is a real foodie (I mean sort of, minus the soap and sand) and I’m super grateful  LOVES to eat. The mess of letting him explore his food has totally been worth it!