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The difference between caprice at the table and food neophobia
Food neophobia manifests itself in the refusal of all new foods. The child may start to cry because he is afraid of foods he does not know. Caprice is quite different. The child uses all the means he has in his possession to make his parents bend. A power struggle begins, the child may get angry, scream, stamp his feet or even throw the dishes on offer.
The age of whims
For Dr. Solsona, everything depends on the maturity of the children. A baby does not have a whim. If he refuses his bottle, something is wrong. It is therefore necessary to consult a pediatrician. It is when the child becomes individual as a person, that he realizes that he is a whole being and that he has a certain power over his parents that he can make whims. If there is no real age, we can still say that it is during the opposition phase, around 2 years old, that the child can become capricious.
Meals, a time conducive to whims
Most parents care that their children eat well. So out of the question that he left the table without having eaten. Some children who have understood this well will play with it and make whims in order to have what they want. They feel that parents will give in easily because the issue of food particularly affects them. Other situations can be subject to whims such as bedtime / sleep for example.
Tips for putting an end to whims at the table
The main thing is not to get into the conflict, to stay calm, not to give in andadopt a “benevolent neutrality”, as recommended by Dr. Solsona. Without scolding him, we can say to the child: “If you don’t want to eat, that’s okay, but you shouldn’t disturb the family meal. »And if he continues, we can explain to him that for a while, he will no longer take his meals with the rest of the family and that we will try again in a week because we really want to have him with us at table. If the child continues to be capricious, we start giving him meals again without the other members of the family. It is important to stay the course and define clear rules allowing the child to have benchmarks, to know what he can and cannot do.
If during a meal, the child becomes a real little tyrant, Doctor Solsona advises to isolate him for a while in his room. She reminds parents to know how to accept that the child does not eat. He will eat better at the next meal. Both parents should also show solidarity, support each other and follow the same course of action in front of their capricious child.
Caprices: when to see a doctor?
As soon as parents feel the need, when they can no longer cope with the situation, whether they get carried away or give in, they should not hesitate to turn to a health professional. This one can advise them on the attitude to adopt vis-a-vis their capricious child. He will also be able to reassure them and tell them that nothing serious will happen if the child skips a few meals. Doctor Solsona advises come in consultation with the child to involve him and so that he understands that his behavior is not acceptable.
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