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Getting Fussy Eaters To Eat
It is really surprising how much time and effort is wasted on trying to force feed a toddler to eat three square meals a day. Most of this is only a myth. A toddler will only eat as much as they feel comfortable with. Toddlers tend not to need three large meals a day, but, maybe four or five smaller ones depending on activity, size, and an assortment of other things. Trying to force your toddler to eat is useless, ever tried getting them to open up, here comes the airplane, well it’s a waste of time. Some toddlers take to food like a duck to water, almost to the point of scraping the pattern from the plate, while others sit and play or dawdle and run at first chance, finding food a complete bore. There are thin toddlers, there fat toddlers, some toddlers will consume anything and others are extremely picky, all this is part of a child’s personality, and wont change no matter how hard you try. Don’t Fight, Feed The times at which meals are given are fairly important, toddlers want to eat when they are hungry, sure it may not be mealtime. But a light snack such as fresh fruit won’t do them any harm or interfere with their feeding time. Here Are Some Tips For Mealtimes. 1. Meals need to be organized, uninterrupted and peaceful. Noisy disorganized meals will distract your toddler from what they are supposed to be concentrating on. Toddlers should sit at the table with the rest of the family, if need be a parent should sit beside the toddler so they can assist with feeding. 2. As much as your toddler should eat a varied meal the same as the rest of the family, if variety is not your toddler’s strong point then serve the same things they like, so long as its nutritional, they’re the ones who have to eat it, not you. 3. Your child should know the rules of dinner time. These rules should include, when your toddler eats a fair portion of the meal then he is entitled to have sweets. If your toddler point blank refuses to eat his meal but wants the sweets, the answer must be a firm no. Explaining the reasons why. 4. When preparing a meal, keep in mind that if your toddler refuses to eat a meal that has taken hours to prepare, you are not going to be the happiest person in the house. 5. Gently encourage your toddler to eat, don’t use bribes or force. 6. Let your child sit alone for a while if he is dawdling and taking his time, its no good you getting up set or stressing over it. When you are sure your toddler is not going to eat any more, clean up and allow him to leave the table. 7. Your toddler has the right to eat or not their food, just the same as a parent has the right to fight with them but, the parent should have more sense than to waste time with fighting. This being said, your toddler should not be allowed anything else to eat like chips and lollies or even fruit until such time they have eaten their tea. If you follow these simple tips, your mealtimes should run a lot smoother. Don’t forget to look out for more tips on feeding your toddler ….. About the author Article contributed by Theresea Hughes, creator ofhttp://free-toddlers-activity-and-discipline-guide.com a site dedicated to providing parenting resource articles for toddlers activity & child discipline with positive parenting tips, free kids games, recipes, arts & crafts, including articles about potty training, temper tantrums, kids sleep problems, parent tips for fussy eaters, including free child development toddlers activity and toddlers discipline parenting resources.
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