Contents
- 10 If a child prefers acidic foods, he has lowered the acidity of gastric juice
- 9. Children need to be taught to eat everything on their plate.
- 8. Soup is not required.
- 7. Eats only what he wants – you can put up with it
- 6. It is impossible to seat at the table, the child eats “on the run” – this is the norm
- 5. No need to insist that the child eat
- 4. Often wakes up at night and asks for a drink – this is the norm
- 3. If a child does not eat anything during the day, but eats up at night – this is his feature.
- 2. The child is able to set the diet
- 1. Ask for food when he wants
Nutrition plays a key role in the harmonious development of the child, so every mother tries to give her child the best.
With babies, as a rule, there are no special problems, their diet is breast milk or milk formula. Questions begin when it’s time to introduce complementary foods.
When a child grows up a little, most parents give him freedom in nutrition. They rely on his feelings and sensations and think that “nature will not deceive”, that is, the child will demand what is necessary for his body.
Parents rely on the experience of other dads and moms, listen to the rules that it is not clear who came up with.
This article will focus on the mistakes of parents who are sure that they properly organize the process of feeding children.
Unfortunately, in the modern world there are still fathers and mothers who ignore the advice of pediatricians and argue “the old fashioned way”. So thought their parents, grandparents, but time does not stand still.
Medicine is developing, so if these facts are refuted by doctors, you should forget about them as soon as possible.
Below are 10 parenting misconceptions about child nutrition.
10 If a child prefers acidic foods, he has lowered the acidity of gastric juice
Parents who have never been interested in medicine think that if a child asks for “sour”, the problem is low acidity of gastric juice. In fact, everything is trite here: children eat sour foods because they feel like it.
Such addictions can be explained by individual taste, but not by a decrease in acidity.
From a medical point of view, this condition is described as pathological. This is a serious disease that has its own symptoms, such as nausea, heartburn, stool disorders.
Therefore, do not worry when the child asks for a slice of lemon, do not be afraid, everything is fine with him.
9. Children need to be taught to eat everything on their plate.
This misconception has been around for many, many years. Parents have always forced their children to finish the food that is on the plate.
They do not think that such behavior can lead to serious health problems: overweight, eating disorders.
Unlike adults, a child eats as much as he needs. If he ate half of the serving and felt full, do not force the child to finish eating.
Try to stick to this rule in your diet. You will be surprised, but you will feel much better.
8. Soup is not required.
European pediatricians believe that a child can do without soup. Russian doctors are categorical in this matter, they advise parents not to give up soup. Which of them is right?
Soup is a healthy dish. Its composition guarantees the satisfaction of the body’s needs for meat, vegetables and cereals.
Agree, it is rather problematic to feed a piece of meat, a side dish and a salad to a child. Children are very fond of soups and willingly eat them.
This dish has another undeniable advantage. The weather conditions in Russia are quite harsh, so Russian people prefer to have soup for lunch to keep warm.
If you still think that eating the first course is optional, invite your child to choose whether to eat the soup or the main course. He will definitely choose soup.
7. Eats only what he wants – you can put up with it
Many children refuse healthy foods, they are ready to eat sausage, bread and sweets all day.
Parents in such a situation are trying to influence their child. If the attempt fails, they allow the child to eat what he wants. It is not right.
Parents should form the right eating habits in their child. You will have to try and convince your son or daughter that you should eat not only what you like.
Make the necessary diet and show cunning. Ask the kid to help you, he will definitely want to try what happened. Decorate food, cook unusual dishes, show your imagination.
6. It is impossible to seat at the table, the child eats “on the run” – this is the norm
This also happens often. It is impossible to seat a child at the table, so parents allow him to eat “on the run”, explaining this with an elementary “just to eat.”
If the child refuses to eat at the table, you will again have to use your gift of persuasion. Tell him an interesting story about children who refused to eat at the table, then their stomachs ached.
You can come up with something of your own, but do not allow the child to “grab pieces.” It’s not safe, he might choke. In addition, in the future it will be difficult for him to get rid of this habit.
You need to eat while sitting at the table, teach your child to follow this rule and be sure to follow it yourself, otherwise all your efforts are meaningless.
5. No need to insist that the child eat
Of course, you should not force the child to eat if he refuses, but you should not ignore such behavior either. This may be a symptom of an incipient illness or just whims.
Understand the reasons. If the child is not feeling well, do not force him to eat. If he doesn’t like the suggested products, replace them with others, but don’t forget to offer them periodically.
If these are just whims, cunning will help. Interest the child, motivate him. Not the last role in the lack of appetite is played by diet. If the child does not comply with it, be sure to deal with this issue.
4. Often wakes up at night and asks for a drink – this is the norm
If a child asks for water, kefir or compote at night, this is normal, but only if we are talking about a transitional stage. Everyone knows that small children eat at night, for them it is a necessity.
It often happens that the child is growing, but do not rush to give up “night food”. It is better not to delay this process. Eating at night is harmful, it affects the condition of the teeth and is fraught with problems with digestion.
If the child is no longer sucking on the nipple and does not need to satisfy the sucking reflex, offer him water from a mug. Soon he will realize that waking up is useless.
If you think that the child wakes up from hunger, make the evening meal more dense. You can give him a glass of kefir or other dairy product to drink before going to bed.
3. If a child does not eat anything during the day, but eats up at night – this is his feature.
If your child eats this way, change the regimen immediately. Late meals adversely affect the endocrine system. Endocrine imbalance may occur, diabetes mellitus and obesity may develop.
In addition, at night, the child produces growth hormone. If you do not follow the diet, then its production stops, the physical development of the child worsens.
2. The child is able to set the diet
The diet should be observed not only by children, but also by adults. The human body lives according to its biological rhythms.
It is necessary to observe the time frame between meals, be sure to rest the digestive tract at night.
If the child eats by the hour, the food will be easier to digest, there will be no problems with appetite. Non-compliance with the diet leads to serious diseases: gastritis, problems with the pancreas and gallbladder.
1. Ask for food when he wants
Perhaps this is the most common misconception about the nutrition of children. It has already been noted above that the child must adhere to a certain diet. You don’t want your son or daughter to suffer from stomach problems since childhood?
Do not wait for the child to ask, offer him breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. If the child is hungry, offer him a fruit or vegetable.
Do not give sweets, fatty foods, pastries. Such food will interrupt the appetite, the child will refuse a full meal.