No More Food Fights!
Why does feeding time, an enjoyable experience for parents and babies, often become a battle of wills when a child becomes a toddler and preschooler? A lot of curious and frustrated parents want to know! One reason is that parents are often unprepared for the slowdown in growth and corresponding drop-off in appetite which kicks in around that age. Another reason is toddler table manners, which includes: playing with food, refusing to eat, and getting up from the table. All of these characteristics of the “independent stage” make mealtimes more challenging for parents.
Dietitian Ellyn Satter, in her popular book, How to Get Your Child to Eat. . . But Not Too Much, describes what a parents’ responsibility is when it comes to feeding kids. Satter says parents should make a variety of healthy foods available to their children. It is then up to the children to decide what and how much they eat.
The best way to encourage children to eat is to sit down to meals together and let them observe the family enjoying their food. Keep conversation relaxed and pleasant. Some other tips include: serve small portions, don’t let children fill up on junk food or juice between meals, never offer food as a reward or withhold it as punishment, offer choices within limits, and encourage (don’t force) tasting new foods.
As children learn to eat to satisfy their own appetite–not their parents’ mealtime goals–they will reap a lifelong benefit: a relaxed, positive attitude toward food.
Jill Phillips
ECFE Parent Educator