The child doesn't want to eat - what to do?

Up to 25% of parents of young children report problems with eating to their doctor, but in less than 5% of children the causes of these problems are related to their health . Why this difference? Unfortunately, the most common causes are ignorance of the child's development stages, overinterpretation of the child's signals and parents' worry. Nevertheless, a bad patch can stick to a child for many years.

Picky eater or who?

It seems that this term always appears when a parent wants to talk about a child who does not meet his or her nutritional expectations . The most common eating problems reported by parents are:

• poor appetite,
• reluctance or fear of trying new things ,
• aversion to specific groups or types of food, especially vegetables, fruit, meat or soups ,
• demanding to eat certain colors or brands of food ,
• slow eating or, conversely, difficulty sitting at the table during a meal,
• playing with food, holding it in the mouth.

In each of these cases, the parent considers his child to be a picky eater. However, it is important to remember that eating problems are often just a natural condition that will pass. It is also worth distinguishing between situations when the child does not want to eat at all and when he or she eats too little (in the opinion of the parents). You can read how to feed a small-eater here . However, in this article we will deal with children who are reluctant to eat at all.

“My child is not interested in the meal.”

Feeding difficulties usually begin with a disturbed division of roles at the table, starting with the introduction of solid meals to the child's diet. Others have a medical cause, such as systemic diseases, congenital defects or metabolic diseases.

Caregivers hear "I don't want to", "I don't like it", "I won't eat it". It is difficult for a child to answer the parent's "why?" questions. He himself does not yet understand what causes the lack of pleasure in eating or the aversion to certain tastes or smells. Learning to name feelings or emotions together with a parent may be helpful . Describing the taste of food "It's sour, don't you like sour foods?", "It's hard, can't you handle biting hard things?"

However, it sometimes happens that the child is not interested in eating because he does not want to stop playing or other activities. This behavior may have various causes. The child may not be hungry - it is worth checking if and when he eats snacks. They may be bored eating food on their own or may not be interested in it because they have distractions such as television, tablets , computers, and toys around them . Each situation requires recognition and implementation of appropriate actions.

A great help in concentrating on eating is the introduction of "meal time" - it is a simple signal for the child, he understands what expectations we have towards him at a given moment. Preschool children should easily sit at the table for 30 minutes while eating.

Decalogue of a picky eater parent.

The principles of proper nutrition, based on scientific evidence and knowledge, clearly impose roles: the parent decides what the child will eat and when he will eat, and the child is competent enough to decide how much and whether he will eat at all .

The origins of the disorder stem from the common belief among parents that only they know how much their child should eat. Disorder on this line is a source of frustration for both parties, and eating difficulties are very often its consequence. Therefore, it is worth taking care of several elements. Here are 10 rules for a healthy approach to feeding:

1. Celebrate meals together as often as possible . You can read about their benefits in a separate article .
2. Let there be all products on the table , both favorites and new ones for the child.
3. Don't ask your child what he or she will eat - this is your competence, he or she decides about his or her hunger.
4. Regulate meal times. Introduce the concept of “meal time.”
5. During meals, get rid of distracting stimuli : phones, television, toys.
6. Limit meal time to 30 minutes, finish regardless of how much your child eats.
7. Serve small portions with the option of adding extras.
8. Don't judge whether your child eats nicely or ugly. Don't comment on the choices, don't criticize what and how much the child ate.
9. Encourage your child to help in the kitchen.
10. Make sure you are in a comfortable position while eating, a cushion on the seat may contribute to squirming.

Alarm signals.

In over 80% of cases, feeding difficulties are the result of environmental factors , such as strengthening food aversion by withdrawing them from the child's menu, inappropriate portion size, meal consistency not adapted to the child, force feeding, and others. However, if, despite the parent's friendly attitude, the child does not show interest in meals, he or she may need to consult a doctor.

What should worry us?

• Significant weight loss or lack of age-appropriate weight gain.
• Vitamin and mineral deficiencies , e.g. diagnosed by a pediatrician.
• Fear of eating, symptoms from the child such as screaming, crying, turning his head, pursing his lips, inducing vomiting .

These signals may indicate possible underlying diseases, including digestive system diseases, hypersensitivities, esophagitis and others.

Bibliography:

Szajewska H., "Nutrition and nutritional treatment of children and adolescents", Kraków 2017, 1st edition.