IS YOUR CHILD A PICKY EATER?

·      What if my child is a picky easter?

As long as your child is choosing nutritious foods, you can let him or her choose what to eat. Sometimes your child may want to eat a particular food again and again for a while, and then not want to eat it at all. Try to let your child explore new foods on his or her own. It won’t help to insist that your child taste new foods .

§  How can I get my child to eat ? Offer your child food that is tasty and looks good, and offer the right amount .As I have mentioned above, a good rule of thumb is to offer one tablespoon of each kind of food for each year of your child’s age. If your child is still hungry, you can serve more. Don’t force your child to clean his or her plate. Once he or she is no longer hungry, your child should be allowed to stop eating.

Try not to bribe or force your child to eat. Threats or punishment aren’t  good ideas either .If your child doesn’t want to eat, accept his or her refusal. Even though you may be concerned, don’t show your child  that you are upset  by this refusal to eat .If your child is seeking attention, your disapproval will boost him and he or she May try to again your attention in the same way another time. So be careful!

§  What about snacks ? Try to balance your child’s request for a snacks with the family’s need to enjoy a regular meal together. If the meal several hours away, you can offer a bigger snack. If you give your child only  a small snack, explain to your child that the family will be eating soon.

If your child doesn’t eat at one mealtime, you can offer a nutritious snack, such as fresh fruits, vegetable or good nutritious biscuits, a few hours later. If your child doesn’t eat the next mealtime. A child will  usually eat at the second meal.

                                                                                                                                                                                                _Dr. Reena Arora

Reference- Dr.Benjamin D’Souza