Start at the Beginning...Mealtimes

“Eat, eat,” the young mom forced food into her child’s mouth. The child started to gag, but the mom was relentless. She wasn’t giving up until her child finished all the food in front of him. In her mind, not feeding the entire quantity was tantamount to neglecting her child’s health.

Sound familiar? I bet you’ve all come across this situation. Some people would have it that it is a control issue. I don’t think so. Culturally we believe that three full meals are important and that food served on a plate should be eaten. It starts there and gradually moves on to the weight issue. Every child has to be a certain weight…your child should weigh the same as your neighbors’…forget the correlation between height and activity or just general health.

Young children listen to their body. They pick up on the signals that their brain sends when their stomach is full. Trust your child’s instincts. When she (or he) says she is full, accept that she is full. Overeating is a learned habit.

Different children need different calorific intake. So where an active child eats a certain number of idlis or rotis, another child may eat less. It is absolutely normal.

Children should learn to chew and eat slowly. If your daily routine comes with time constraints then work out a menu which doesn’t include several courses. How often do you rush your child at mealtimes?

Make mealtimes interesting. Did you know that our taste buds change as we grow older? That means your child will have a more varied diet as she grows older. So don’t worry if she doesn’t eat some dish or vegetable right from the time you start on solids. After the Human Body unit one of my kindergarteners commented, “Ms. S, I think I’ll like tomatoes when I grow up. But right now my taste buds say no, thank you!” Be patient and your child will try new foods in time.

If you are concerned that your child is not getting nutrients from a particular food group or item then find suitable substitutes. Parents are more willing to adapt to food allergies. If their child is allergic to lactose, they are ok with soy milk or other products. But if the child says no to milk because she dislikes it, that becomes a huge issue. Give your child reasonable choices.

More to follow...

Ms. S