May 14th, 2010
It can be a worry if your child refuses to eat or is terribly fussy. BUT it is worth knowing that it is extremely rare for a child to starve themselves! In this article we will be looking at practical tips that you can try to make stress-free mealtimes.
Parents with difficult children at mealtimes are not alone. To have stress-free mealtimes, you should avoid rough playtime and snacks before meals. Present food in fun and interesting ways as well as teach kids to eat independently.
As long as your little one is eating food from all the 5 food groups (even if they are the same items from each group each time) you shouldn’t have to worry. Try the following approaches to help children eat without pressure.
Avoid Playtime before Meals
When children are excited about something, particularly after a very exciting playtime, their highly active and aroused body will suppress their appetite.
“An excited child is not being naughty because she’s refusing to eat her food properly. It’s just that human bodies are genetically programmed to have no interest in eating when in a state of high excitement,” says Margot Sunderland, author of What Every Parent Needs to Know(Dorling Kindersley, 2006).
Forcing an over excited child to eat is pointless. Sunderland suggests that parents wait until their child’s high arousal level drops and the child is calm again. Better still, avoid rough playtime just before a meal.
Avoid Snacks before Meals
Snacks to close to meals should be avoided if a child tends to eat very little at his main meals. If your child is hungry just before a mealtime, give him some milk or juice, but not too much. He will then be hungrier at his proper mealtimes and eat more of what he should be eating.
Present Food in Interesting Ways
You will find that mealtimes are easier if you present food in interesting ways. By associating food with fun instead of anxiety, children are more likely to eat. Use attractive and colourful serving plates, bowls and cups. A tray with separate compartments is very useful too as toddlers like to see each item of their food separately.
Foods with fun shapes are appealing to kids as well. Cut out sandwiches in various shapes using cookie cutters. Try a sandwich cutter that turns ordinary sandwiches into cool, exciting shapes and puzzle pieces. Let the fussy eater do some cutting too.
Teach Kids to Eat Independently
Good eating behaviour also stems from a child’s ability to eat on his own.. Penelope Leach, author of Your Baby and Child(Dorling Kindersley, 2003), suggest the following ideas to teach kids to eat independently:
- Give food that is easy for the child to handle.
- Avoid spoon-feeding a child who already knows how to hold a spoon. If he needs help, scoop food in the spoon and let him take the spoon in his hand so that he can feed himself.
- Allow the child to eat by any method he prefers – fingers, fists or spoon. He needs to feel that getting the food is what matters, not getting food using any particular method.
- Allow the child to eat in any order or combination. It doesn’t matter what course he starts with. And don’t make a big fuss if he dips his bacon in his cereal. As long as he eats some of every food or course offered, he will be eating right.
13 other Tips for success
- eat together if possible and offer your child the same food as everyone else is having.
- Give child sized portions and praise them for everything they try or eat.
- make sure you serve meals whenyour child is not tired or over hungry.
- Try not to use sweet treats as a reward for eating savoury foods. Rather reward them with an activity.
- If they reject food, don’t fuss or force feed..simply remove the food.
- limit in between meal snacking. A piece of fruit of a small tub of yoghurt is perfect.
- Stay calm and try to lead by example. Sit with your child and eat with them.
- Try not to let them fill up on drinks between meals. If it is near a snack time, offer food first then a drink.
- As another adult-like grandma-to eat with you. Children will often try a food for someone else more readily than they would for you!
- make mealtimes enjoyable for everybody. Make it a social time for chatting and sitting together.
- Invite some other children who are good eaters round for a meal. Children will often copy their peers and be inspired to try things their friends are eating.
- Some children are just slow eaters, so try not to rush mealtimes and allow them to eat at their own pace.
- Children change their minds often-they may like something one day and not the next..don’t worry about it. their diet may seem boring, but as long as they are eating a variety, it’s perfectly fine!
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fussy eaters advice,
ideas to get toddlers eating
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Activities for Toddlers |
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