Around
the first birthday or so, a child's growth slows down considerably. Correspondingly
so does the amount of food consumed by the child. If the child is healthy
and happy and all mental developmental landmarks are being achieved, then
there may be no need to worry even if according to you the child is eating
too little.
| Children
will not starve themselves if offered adequate food. When they
get hungry they will eat. |
|
Fussy eaters
are more often created rather than born that way. An anxious mother is more
likely to have an anxious little fussy eater. Making meal times a battleground
is also likely to rebound on you. The best things you can do to avoid this
problem is
- Let your
child eat anyway she chooses even if it means turning away as she mashes
the potatoes still further or applies half the food as a paste on her
face.
- Encourage
her to feed herself as much as possible. Let her participate by giving
her an extra spoon.
- Offer
child size portions.
- Let her
eat the sweets first or in any combination that she likes.
- Make mealtimes
fun for all when the whole family gathers together at the table.
- Let the
meal end when she's had enough.
- Change
the food offered everyday - all children like variety.
- Substitute
- if she won't have milk make milky soup, cottage cheese, cheese, caramel
custard etc.
- Make the
food attractive.
- Avoid
power struggles around food. Provide a nutritious meal and allow her
to choose what food she wants to eat.
- Set limits
on the amount and type of in-between-meals snacks that are allowed to
her.
- Evaluate
the child's diet on a weekly rather than daily basis. You will probably
find that, over the course of a week, she's eating a variety of healthy
foods.
- Don't
treat dessert as a reward.
- Don't
put sugar or salt in the curd. Let the child get used to food without
too much additives.
- Set a
good example.
As far as
possible avoid showing your anxiety over her eating habits. If you are
concerned whether she will eat the jackfruit that has been made for lunch
than she will obviously create a fuss. By this time children are tremendous
'mummy manipulators' so put whatever is made for the meal in front of
the baby without fuss and she will eat it. Don't let your personal biases
and preferences in food affect the child. You may not like many foods
but if given a chance, she may. Encourage her to eat all kinds of foods
and if possible do the same yourself.
|
