Feeding a toddler

Ppl who know me well enough know that I am obsessed with feeding my skinny daughter,who actually likes food but wont drink milk and simply does Not put on weight.I remember when she was born I would measure out the milk and note down the timing of every feed,actually I do that even now but not too much......then she was a nice fat baby but as she became a little less 'fat' my obsession with ounces and timing grew.

My mom would tell me "if shes not hungry just let her be- do not force her",but my crazy maternal instinct would kick in and I simply couldn't stop not until recently.
Last month I went mad trying to get her to drink some milk on her own(yea she does not drink milk on her own I have to sit with her till she finishes or she throws it out and the rascal is just 19 months old).I got fed up and didn't give her anything till she actually asked for some food,that was the first time in all of her 18 months when she realised what hunger was.....my god I had never given her a chance to 'meet hunger' and this was amuch needed introduction.

I know most moms atleast the Indian ones run around behind their children getting them to eat and drink on time and I know it satisfies the mom that we have done our part of the nourishment,but I have now realised that just let the kids hunger guide the feeding routine,coz kids like us adults will never over eat and they know when to stop.

I sometimes take the easy way out,play a Dora DVD,put her in front of the Tele and feed her and she does not even realise that shes done or I take her to the balcony and play hide and go seek while feeding her...these feeding methods are certainly not good.

These days I'm trying to get her to eat her dinner with us at the table on her own,I try not to pick up the spoon to feed her each time shes doing something else or is just playing with her food. I slowly get her interested in her plate again by pointing out to the veggies and naming them and asking her to tell me her favs etc to make this easier on her and dinner time for the rest of us.
I started with food that she likes so that she will actually show some interest in picking up her spoon and not wait for me to feed her.

Last night Dinner was Mashed potatoes,boiled veggies and pasta.Potatoes and pasta are her favs but veggies took a long time to go in.I was good ,yes I'm saying I was good coz I didnt pick up her spoon to feed her when she was wasting time and spilling all over.She was good too coz she finished the potatoes first(her fav veggie) and then went on to eat the pasta and then with a lot of encouraging the veggies.....

I think we both have come a long way.......from measuring,to refusing,to screaming and howling,to never giving up,to watching Dora while eating to finally sitting at the table and eating like a family coz 'A FAMILY THAT EATS TOGETHER,STAY TOGETHER'

Some pointers which helped me

• Let the child be the best guide about the timing and amount of food.
• Never force,it makes it hard for both the child and the parent.
• Give them time to finish the food,dnt ask them to hurry up.
• Encouragement and positive reinforcement goes a long way.

This is how I fixed her plate

Vegetables:beans,carrot and peas-cubed and boiled
Mashed potatoes:Heat 1 tbsp butter in a pan add one boiled and cubed potato,milk and salt.mash well.
Pasta:Heat 1 tsp butter in a pan,add 1 tsp flour and cook till done,add milk and salt.Let it get creamy finally add cooked elbow macaroni and shredded cheddar cheese,mix well.