FEEDING Sophie is still proving to be a bit of a mission impossible. She is still not eating the range of balanced meals I would have expected her to at 11 months, but I am learning to go with the flow.

But that doesn't mean I've stopped trying to get her to at least try things, just that I am trying not to stress when the meals end up being hurled straight onto the floor. In fact, I am having to get inventive in my bid to fill her tummy.

On Shrove Tuesday I discovered Sophie liked plain pancakes and can easily pack away a whole one in a day. I have been making up batches of batter and freezing the leftovers for later.

And her penchant for pancakes led me to discover something else she will eat – wafer thin sandwich meat. I think she must love thin, flat, floppy food she can tear rather than chunks which she has to work at chewing. I suppose at this age food is all about exploration for little ones, and texture is probably just as important as taste.

So while I never imagined a typical lunch would consist of pancakes, thin slices of chicken, grapes and raisins – I suppose it is better than nothing. She has also decided she loves Philadelphia cheese so we are making progress, even if it is just small baby steps forward. But the day when she will tuck into cottage pie or spaghetti bolognaise still seems a long way off.

One of the most puzzling things is that Sophie wants all her food to be stone cold. She shows little or no interest in anything that is still even lukewarm. But each to their own I suppose. I can't imagine she'll still be surviving on cold pancakes and tepid toast when she's a teenager. I just hope she gets a bit easier to feed as she gets older.

I have to admit though, there does seem to be a bit of a conspiracy among a lot of mums to pretend everything is fine even when it isn't. If some people are to be believed their little one has been sleeping through from day one and can put away an adult-sized portion at an all-you-can eat buffet. I must admit I take such things with a pinch of salt. I'm sure there are some angelic children who have always fed well and slept for hours on end, who never cry, hit all their developmental milestones early and show signs of genius at everything they do. But I'm pretty sure most people are just bumbling along from day-to-day doing the best job they can, and that usually involves tackling some problem or another, whether it's fussy eating, restless nights or a refusal to crawl, walk or talk. I do think though if people were a bit more honest about the things they are struggling with, people wouldn't feel so bad when having to deal with their own parenting challenges.