Peace at Dinner How to Avoid Food Battles with Your Baby
It is natural to be worried about what your baby is and is not eating. However, if you become too fixated on your little one’s diet, you are your child may start butting heads at dinner time. The tips included in this article, can help you avoid these challenges. It is important to remember that your baby has precious little ways in which he or she can show his independence; what he chooses to eat is one way he can establish some control. Therefore, they will often try to do the exact opposite of what you want them to do.
Give your child all of the food available to him, all at once. Many parents attempt to get their little ones to eat their meat and vegetables first, saving things like fruit (which is sweeter) as their “reward.” This is a subtle sign to your child that meat and vegetables aren’t desirable, and they will naturally favor the other foods as a result. Allow your child to choose the order in which they eat the foods on their plate. If you are concerned that they aren’t getting enough of a specific food, discuss it with your pediatrician to see if it is really something that you need to be concerned about.
Allow your child to eat his food in whatever manner he pleases. For example, if you are serving chicken and sweet potato fries, and your child wants to dip his chicken in his ketchup, let him. This is a way for your little one to explore different tastes. Since everything on his plate is something that you prepared or chose to feed him, you know that it is healthy. It won’t hurt your child to try out some unusual combinations, and it satisfies his need to be a little independent and curious about his food.
Refrain from forcing your little one to eat certain foods. For example, you may be concerned that he or she is not getting enough vegetables in his diet. Trying to make him eat broccoli, however, will accomplish nothing other than frustration for the both of you. It may also lead you to say something that you don’t follow through on, like, “You can’t leave the table until you take a bite of this food.” Again, allowing him to pick what he eats is the best route to take. In addition, you don’t want to force your child to eat more than they need to eat. If you do, you may unconsciously be contributing to a future weight problem.
One of the most common frustrations for parents of young children is their diet. Still, it is important to remember that as long as you provide your little one with healthy foods, you are on the right track. Use the tips included in the article above to avoid food battles and create a peaceful meal time routine for your family. If you have serious concerns about your child’s diet, check with their pediatrician and follow their recommendations.
