Who decides how much your child should eat - you or the child? Who is responsible for what will be eaten – you or the child? Answering these questions will help you understand what pattern of food behavior you are unconsciously promoting in your family. A parent's feeding style is the result of behaviors learned at home, the parent's character, stress from the new role, expectations of the environment or the rest of the family. Although it is never completely clear, we can always distinguish a leading style .
Being a parent can be difficult, so sometimes we give up and give in to the child. However, it is important for parents to be aware that they are the only people responsible for what their child eats and when they eat it . Regulated meal times, meals tailored to the child's needs - these are the parents' responsibilities .
When we are on the run, these roles often change, and children decide what they will eat. And the parents, wanting to have a quiet evening, agree to this. The problem is that passing the baton in this field usually ends with food that differs from the real needs of the child's body, and in extreme cases - nutritional deficiencies .
Children rarely know what they need, but they always know what they want. They often do not want to eat things that we, as adults, consider healthy and beneficial to our health. However, it is worth looking for a balance between what the child wants and what his body actually needs. Our reflexive behavior in situations when a child refuses to eat something "healthy" is not our best ally. Moreover, they may contribute to long-term aversion to food. Here are the 10 most important mistakes parents and guardians should avoid:
1. Pressing and forcing the child to eat - the effect is always the opposite of the intended one.
2. Letting go and giving up feeding unwanted foods - if we don't see something, it stops functioning in our head, the child may develop the belief "if my parent doesn't give it to me, it's probably not good for me."
3. Lack of regulated meal times - it is easier to eat too many snacks, snacks and sweets instead of nutritious food.
4. Undermining the child's choice of newness - when a child is ready to try something, saying no can lead to a lasting aversion to the new thing.
5. Rewarding/punishing with food - food is intended to meet the physiological needs of the body, not educational needs.
6. Talking negatively about food - "what kind of herb is this, I won't eat grass for dinner" - e.g. about spinach, imposing our tastes and dislikes on the child. If we want to raise a gourmet, let's not impose anything on him.
7. Ridiculing the child's choices, commenting on his choices - the child has his own taste preferences, as long as their choice coincides with what we want him to eat, let's allow it, even if we would not choose such a product or flavor combination.
8. Allowing the child to decide what he will eat - this is contrary to the principle of division of roles at the table, the parent knows what the child needs and this should be the basis for the choice.
9. Introducing the division of food into good and bad - meals are supposed to provide us with various ingredients for the body to develop properly, there is room for many products in a balanced diet. Calling some children bad and others good may lead to hiding the eating of the former from the parent.
10. Talking loudly about being on a diet that involves limiting the amount of food - this may have an impact on the perception of food.
A gourmet has regulated meal times at home and often uses a buffet , preparing his own meals. He decides how much he will eat from the variety of dishes available on the table. He leaves room for dessert if he wants it. If he feels ready, he reaches for new products, always available on the table . The entire meal takes place without tension in a pleasant atmosphere. Be a responsive parent!
Napisała: Magdalena Kubik
Pediatric dietitian, food technologist. He has been helping families fight overweight and food allergies in children for over 10 years. He conducts consultations and lectures for parents and doctors. She cooperated with the Polish Mother's Health Center Institute. He shares his knowledge on the website dietetykdzieciecyradzi.pl. A graduate of Technology of vitamins and food concentrates at the Lodz University of Technology and Dietetics and nutrition planning at the College of Social Sciences.
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