An obedient child, unquestioningly eating everything that is offered to him for breakfast, lunch and dinner, is the cherished dream of all parents. Alas, but it is unlikely that it will be possible to fully implement it. And yet naive adults continue to wonder: how to make a child eat?
See to the root
First of all, it is necessary to answer the fundamental question: why does the child eat poorly? The motives of your child’s unwillingness to eat properly will tell you in which direction to move in order to instill in him a healthy craving for food. Experts say that most often the causes of eating disorders are psychological in nature. This may be an attempt to draw attention to your person, a protest against the frequent quarrels of your parents, excessive pampering or, on the contrary, spartan methods of education, etc. Sometimes the baby experiences insurmountable discomfort at the table due to the fact that he is constantly being made comments (how to properly hold a fork or spoon, behave at the table). As a result, the process of eating is invariably associated with negativity.
Very often, the child does not want to eat, because he simply does not taste good. It’s not your lack of culinary talent, but the fact that children’s gastronomic preferences are too selective. Dislike of vegetables, cereals, soups and other healthy dishes is expressed in constant whims. Wondering how to teach a child to eat, you should pay attention to your own imprudent actions.
The desire to pamper the child with sweets and cakes as snacks is fraught with a lack of appetite during the main meal. If you have not developed a clear daily routine and the child goes to bed late, then in the morning he will quite predictably refuse the prescribed breakfast. And he will be right, because under such conditions, the body is not configured to consume food.
It also happens that the child does not eat much, because he is distracted by a much more entertaining action. For example, cartoons, reading books, or other performances that are arranged by the elders to amuse the child with bread and circuses. This harmful practice causes the child to associate the process of eating with entertainment. And if they disappear, along with them, the interest in food will disappear.
Tactics of peaceful conquest
Should I force the child to eat, knowing the reason for frequent refusals? By no means, psychologists warn. Aggressive methods like coercion, intimidation, or blackmail will only make the problem worse. Methods should be peaceful and consistent.
- Even the parents themselves are sometimes unable to deal with psychological problems in the family. In this case, a specialist will help you get to the bottom of it. For the rest, you can do it on your own. Remember that the dining table is a conflict-free area where everyone enjoys eating and socializing. Create a relaxed and joyful atmosphere and in no case do not scold the child, making him feel guilty.
- To instill in children a love for certain products, you will need a lot of patience and creativity. The child does not like cottage cheese? Make cheesecakes of unusual shape and come up with a funny name for them. From the hated carrot, you can cut out fancy figures, draw a funny face on a plate of porridge with jam, make colored puree from potatoes, and make funny hedgehogs from meat and rice.
- How to teach a child to eat if he abuses snacks and harmful sweets? First of all, replace them with apples, pears or dried fruits. Determine the constant time and number of meals. To be healthy, the child should eat 5-6 times a day, of course, in small portions. And save sweets, chocolates and other sweets for the end of lunch or dinner.
- Diversify the children’s menu as much as possible. Prepare porridges, soups, meat and fish dishes with vegetable side dishes for the main meals. For a second breakfast or afternoon snack, make a small sandwich or bun with warm milk. Over time, the child’s body will adjust to the correct mode, and will willingly take food.
- If you have a growing baby – “owl”, it will require a special approach. After a late awakening, the stomach needs some time to recover. Therefore, to begin with, cheer up the child with some active entertainment. And before breakfast, give him a glass of fruit juice – this will help to awaken his appetite.
- Often, the answer to the question of why the child began to eat poorly is the malaise of the baby. In this case, compassionate parents try to feed the hungry child with a vengeance. But in the case of illness, refusing to eat is a natural reaction. The body directs all its resources to fight the disease, and there is no strength left to digest food. On such days, the sick baby should be given light food such as broth, vegetables, fruits or natural yoghurts.
To understand how to make a child eat, first of all it is important to realize that you can not do this forcibly. The child should experience a voluntary desire and a healthy appetite, and then almost any food will be a joy. It remains for you to prepare a fertile ground for this.