Toddler 1-2 years
It's time for parents to take the lead.
Your toddler is no longer a baby and can start eating meals with the family. At this age, parents need to have clear rules around mealtime to prevent problems like grazing and picky eating. The most important thing a parent can do is sit down and eat with their child for meals and snacks.
Feeding tips for toddlers
Wean from the breast or bottle
Your baby should be weaned from the bottle by 18 months.
Using the bottle too long can affect your baby's speech and cause cavities.
Watch this video to learn more.
Weaning from the bottle is hard!
This video gives some tips and tricks for bottle weaning.
Switch to cow's milk
At 1 year it's time to start your baby on cow's milk instead of formula or breast milk. Watch this video to learn why cow's milk is the best option.
Avoid juice and soda
Juice and soda have too much sugar for your baby. Never give soda and limit juice to 1/4 cup per day. Serve juice in an open cup, never let a child sip on juice in a sippy cup or bottle; that can cause tooth decay. This video from 1,000 days is a great visual of what your toddler can drink.
Eat meals with your child
The ONLY way to teach your child to eat healthy is to make meals and sit down to eat them with your child. This video explains why.
Prevent Picky Eating
Many kids become picky eaters between ages 1 and 3.
You can prevent this by always feeding your child the same thing you are eating.
Watch this video to learn more.
Prevent Choking
Always make your child sit down while eating. Avoid giving your child hard round foods or cut them to a safe size.
Ellyn satter videos
The following short videos (about 1 minute each) are available through your Family Advocate
"Madison and Daniel" 12 months: benefits of self feeding
"Seve"19 month old toddler: how to stop kids from disrupting your meal
"Drew" 21 month old toddler: dinner for children only, dessert stragety
"Joel" 22 month old toddler: sit-down snack, roaming with juice
"AJ" 24 month old toddler: squirmy, messy, normal, talkative toddler
"Isabella" 24 month old toddler: grandparent putting pressure on child to eat
"Janelli" 24 month old toddler: Pressure to eat and power struggle