Advice on 1 Year Olds New Eating Behavior

Yes, head butting, biting, scratching, hair pulling...all behaviors that are pretty normal for this age up through 18 months or so. It is a cause and effect thing to see what type of response these behaviors bring about. it is also a way of communicating frustration, tiredness, etc. My 17 month old daughter has gone through all of these, and I think we have everything but the scratching under control at this point. She uses scratching to let us know she needs something to be changed in her environment (she is tired and wants to stop playing, she wants down from her high chair, etc.). We are working with her to start telling us verbally what she wants, but until she can completely communicate that way, I think she will continue some of this behavior. I was alarmed at first, but my pediatrician said this is normal.

As for eating, I agree again with Brittany. Food is often a center for control for the child. Your son may just want to have more say in how he eats and how much he eats. Try finger foods and also let him experiment with the spoon. You might be surprised at how quickly he picks up the art of feeding himself once he is given the chance. It is messy, but I think that you may find that over time, more and more food will end up in his mouth instead of in his lap and on the floor!

Welcome to toddlerhood!

:-)

You mention that all this began with a cold. You may want to have the pediatrition check him out just to make sure all is well. Pain (or pressure) in his throat and ears could be the cause of both behaviors. I know both my boys have appeared to be perfectly healthy but acting strangely only to find out they had a raging ear infection or ulcers in the throat from a virus. It wouldn't hurt to rule it out.

Hi,
Take a look at what you are feeding him- wheat and diary are frequently allergens and can effect behaviour- take a look at Fienngold diet-
and ChildrensBehaviourHelp.com has helped us w/ behaviour- and /or take him to pediatric chiropractor maybe as simple as something is out of place-k

When my oldest was about 14 months old he started banging his head on everything when he was frustrated or didn't get his way. I was so afraid he would hurt his little noggin. Everyone told me that it was a phase and gave me advice from ignoring it (how, when he could hurt himself?) to time out (where he would still bang his head). Finally, one day he began to bang his head really hard on the wooden arm of a chair and I picked him up without a word and put him in his crib with the light off (there was light from the window). I just let him cry. He only cried for little while. I took him out as soon as he stopped. Three days of this, and he never banged his head again. It was much harder on me than it was on him.

About the food, is he throwing foods that he used to like? Does he eventually eat it, or does he rather not eat until you offer him something else? When my youngest began throwing food, we ended up saying things like "Oh, are you all finished?" and then removed his plate. He would still be in his high chair while we continued to eat. After a little fit he would say "more" (his version of it) and we would give it back to him and he ate just fine. It took me a while to get to that point. I tried everything up until that point, but he would just pick and throw.

I have to agree with you and the previous posters! He should still get the one meal you made, but he probably wants to feed himself more. Also, most children go through an appetite decrease around one year as their growth slows down. I've finally taught my 20 month old to hand me his (plastic!) plate when he's finished. But I better get to it in time or it's gone!

Every time my son rams his head into something, I think about the part in the movie Parenthood where the little guy does that and the hyper dad says, "You must be so proud!" Well, actually I am--it's normal!

The head butting is a phase. All 6 of my brothers went through it at about that age. The more response it illicits, the more he will continue to do it. When he does it, tell him no, that's not nice. But don't make a huge deal of it. As for the eating. He may be getting to the stage where he wants to feed himself. Try using more finger foods that he can do himself (i.e. greenbeans, carrots, bananas). I know both of my girls refused to let me spoon feed them after about 12 or 13 mos old.