A two-course dinner, each to be eaten to the last crumb. An adult portion, placed in front of a six-year-old. Parents' idea of the amount a child should eat often exceeds the child's physiological capabilities .
Thanks to the natural mechanisms of hunger and satiety, starting from the day of birth, each of us, including children, knows how much we should eat to meet our needs. Although this may be difficult for parents to accept, they should leave the issue of the size of the meal eaten to their children .
The main rule - the parent decides what the child will eat and when. The child – how much and whether he will eat at all . Objectively, such a division of roles at the table leads to less tension and a better atmosphere.
If we have the impression that the child is not eating enough, it is worth relying on the facts:
If the child is healthy, the solution to the situation will be to change the attitude and atmosphere during meals. It is worth rejecting your fears and beliefs and letting your child control his or her satiety and hunger. However, you must remember to serve products on the table that the child likes and eats willingly, but in balance with others that we want the child to eat. You should not comment on the child's behavior, do not pressure , do not impose your own opinion.
It's a good idea to suggest foods and show how much fun we get from eating everything on the table. Make meals together become the norm. It's not about meeting all household members at the table at the same time. One caregiver is enough to observe the child - dad, mom, nanny, grandparent, whoever is with the child at mealtime. Children learn through imitation. All our behaviors and statements have a direct impact on shaping the child's habits.
There is one more aspect of feasting together - diversity . If you want to increase the likelihood of eating something, make sure you have choices . Research shows that a variety of foods increases their consumption by more than ¼. If you want your child to eat a vegetable, give him or her a choice of several lying next to each other .
A separate issue is the reluctance to eat basic meals resulting from snacking. To eat a meal, the child must be hungry. It is difficult to achieve this physiologically every 30 minutes or an hour. If hunger is satisfied by a snack, dinner will not be eaten.
Between the ages of 2 and 3, children go through the so-called period of neophobia, i.e fear of trying new things. They may refuse to eat an entire meal if the novelty is on the same plate as the foods they like and accept. They also often exclude from their menu products that they previously liked to eat and say that they "don't like" them anymore.
This is an absolutely natural, temporary state . The parent's role is to continue providing all foods, regardless of reluctance. This is also important from the point of view of familiarizing the child with new, previously unknown foods. All products and dishes on the table during a meal, even if not eaten by the child, influence the acceptance process . First visual and olfactory, and then taste. The child will independently signal his willingness to try, it is worth following these requests , although initially they may end in failure. There is no point in forcing or pressuring. This is counterproductive.
Selective eating may also be a response to olfactory and visual hypersensitivity or oral disorders. Hypersensitive children willingly eat only specific groups of products. Some eat only foods of a certain color or consistency, others exclude entire groups of products: vegetables, meat, soups, etc.
Problems with fine motor skills may result in rejection of products that the child cannot handle. A child may demand a smooth consistency when he or she has trouble biting . It is advisable to visit a neurologist who will assess the child's eating skills.
If a child does not want to touch food, does not tolerate certain tastes or smells or requires frequent wiping of the mouth, it is worth visiting a sensory integration (SI) specialist . Other symptoms that may indicate SI disorders:
Another, actually fundamental, issue also comes back here - the parent's behavior . What is the parent's or guardian's attitude towards various product groups and new products? The child imitates its caregivers, and reluctant statements or facial expressions are important in building the child's beliefs about food.
If you observe these symptoms in your child for a long time, you need help from specialists :
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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