Does your child hate meals? Does he stay with food in his mouth for close to 30 minutes? This article gives you 7 Incredible Ways to help him feed without much struggle.
First of all, it is worth noting that various factors, such as premature birth, congenital anomalies, or temporary illness, can cause poor feeding.
However, your children may hate meals even without any of the above conditions.
Many people assume that all those kids who refuse certain foods are just being naughty. Generally, only a small percentage of kids refuse food because of behaviour.
Definitely no. It’s normal for most kids to hate vegetables, even though they are rich in vitamins and fibre. However, you can make him love them with the tips that I am going to share with you.
Children enjoy doing what they see you doing. Encourage yours to help with meal planning, shopping, and food preparation. Let her help you fix what she can. Besides, she will be proud to eat food she has prepared herself.
Have meals together as a family. Your child will acquire healthy eating habits from watching you. Therefore, try to behave at your best.
Similarly, eat what you want your child to eat. Be a healthy-eating role model to him. bearing in mind, monkey see monkey do.
Avoid Mealtime Distractions: Kids lose interest in eating when they use smartphones or watch TV. Teach them to focus on one thing at a time, and supervise so they eat before playing or watching. Put your own phone away and create a calm eating environment.
Set a schedule for snacks between main meals. Never give snacks at mealtime because he will lose his appetite. Instead, make him wait for snacks at the set time.
Remember, don’t schedule mealtime too close to bedtime. Getting a sleepy, restless child to eat is difficult. Read more from the previous post.
Snacking all day means your child won’t be hungry at any mealtime. As I said earlier, if he asks for snacks during times not scheduled for it, remind him that snack time is not yet.
Regardless of how much he eats, serve your child food frequently. This will help him eat more in the long run. With this in mind, keep food within easy reach whenever he feels hungry.
Moreover, let him know that he can eat at any time of day and doesn’t have to wait for mealtime. By the end of the day, he will have eaten precisely enough.
Does your child hate meals at all times? If so, you can try spoon-feeding. I remember spoon-feeding my boy when he was 5 years old. He didn’t want to feed himself. This means that you have to be present during meals. It will also be a good opportunity for you to interact with him. Sometimes making time for your kids can be hard, especially if you are single.
Your child may take longer to eat. Unquestionably, let him touch, lick and play with food. Expect a lot of mess as he learns to eat. At the same time, offer help if needed.
Monitor his feeding time. Observe when he likes to eat more and when he likes less.
With that in mind, serve him more food at a time when he is hungry and less when he doesn’t like eating.
Does your child hate meals because he feels pain? If the problem is temporary, observe him first. Check whether his body temperature is normal.
Some children may refuse to eat if they have underlying issues, e.g. constipation, teething, toothache, or sore throat. Give him painkillers first to relieve any pain before serving any food.
However, seek medical attention for a toothache, ear problems, or a sore throat. These may cause pain, hence loss of appetite.
Does your child hate meals to the point that it’s weighing you down? Don’t worry because you are not alone. If the above tips do not work, don’t stress out.
A doctor advised one of my friends to serve any food to his kid, who seriously hated mealtimes. Those meals serve him food of his choice. Cakes, biscuits, fruits, or nuts, irrespective of whether it’s a balanced diet or not. This will prevent him from losing too much weight.
Finally, I believe these tips were helpful. Share with your friends. Also, subscribe to a free newsletter at the bottom of this page