Psychological Tips To Help Your Children Eat Well

What and how much children eat is one of the main things that parents worry about today. But sometimes parents make some mistakes in their efforts to provide their children with a good diet. Unfortunately, these mistakes can lead to the exact opposite of what they want.

Sometimes problems arise due to lack of knowledge or excessive anxiety. As parents, we want our children to eat all kinds of food without it becoming a power struggle. However, it is common for children to refuse to try certain foods or eat smaller portions than their parents think they need.

Eating problems usually occur between the first and third year of life. It is important to remember that a baby’s tummy during this time period has a limited capacity. Therefore, we can not expect them to eat almost as much as an adult or an older child would do.

It is not until children turn five that their energy and nutritional needs increase. But at the same time, it is important to remember that good eating habits are something children learn and acquire with a little practice.

It takes time and the parents have to be patient. Different food textures, aromas and flavors are all very new to children.

Despite this, there are some strategies you can use to help your children eat well.

What can parents do to help their children eat well?

• Avoid having your child experience food as something negative. If you are too fussy about a specific food, your child will become suspicious. Also, avoid giving rewards to get your kids to try something. You only reinforce the idea that the food in question is not worth trying without reward.
  
  

• Focus on positive behaviors. Use positive reinforcement when your child eats well while ignoring negative behaviors. It is enough not to pay attention to these behaviors to make your child stop.
• Do not push your children, but do not give in either. Your goal should be to show your children that eating is something natural and enjoyable. Give your children their food and set the table after enough time has passed. Do not push your children and do not start arguing with them to get them to eat. But at the same time, do not give up by cooking something they like better.
• Think about what your children like. Let your children decide which vegetables they like best. Also, let them choose a specific dish that they do not need to eat.

Mealtime

Reasonable time

Meals should be between 20 and 40 minutes. If the meal ends too early, it may mean that your child is eating too fast. Encourage your child to slow down to avoid painful indigestion.

But if the meals last longer than 40 minutes, it can disrupt your children’s day. In addition, it can lead to quarrels and nagging when you and your partner get tired of waiting.

When 40 minutes have passed, set the table. Regardless of whether your children have stopped eating, they have to wait until the next meal to eat again. Avoid giving in to demands for snacks and junk food. Doing so will only get your children used to eating at the wrong time (and not eating at the right time!).

Family meals

• Your meals should be a quiet and pleasant family time. Do not criticize how your children eat. Talk casually as a family while enjoying your food. It is the best.

• It is also important to offer the whole family the same food, instead of meeting each member’s preferences. This gives children the opportunity to observe how others do with the food… and to share their own observations.
• Attitudes towards food become more positive when children perceive the meals as a common moment. The opposite happens when children feel that their parents are only there to force them to eat.

How to offer new foods so that your children eat well

• Choose the right time of day. Find a time when your child is calm, happy and hungry. He or she will be more open to trying new things.
• Offer only a small taste of the new food and then give some food that your child already knows and likes.
• Give your children the independence to explore new foods with their hands and other senses. Let them decide how much to put in their mouths. Older children can try new foods with their own fork and at their own pace. This increases the chance that they will accept new foods.