Children eat differently than adults. We know that a balanced diet is important for the body and that is why we usually pay attention to vegetables and fruits, proteins and carbohydrates. But children eat intuitively, which means their body tells them what it needs at that particular moment.
It's probably self-explanatory that you can't let children eat chocolate and other sweets all the time. But what can parents do if the child hardly eats 'real' food? Isn't there a risk of a shortage of supplies?
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That's why your child doesn't eat some things
Eating, or the refusal to eat, can be part of a child's development. Many children go through this. If the child refuses certain things, they can distance themselves from their parents. Saying 'no' to vegetables or meat is a form of autonomy for the child and nothing worrying.
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Of course, none of this means that parents should let their children dictate their meal plan. After all, no one wants to eat pasta with tomato sauce every day or chocolate from morning to evening. But it also means that parents should avoid forcing certain foods on their child.
At what age do children refuse meals?
At the beginning everything seems very easy with his child. If you slowly introduce solid foods after breastfeeding, the little ones seem insatiable. They eat vegetables and fruits, meat and fish. There is actually nothing that they seriously refuse to do.
Until they are toddlers and discover their own tastes around the age of two. Then they suddenly don't want to eat a lot anymore and suddenly even seem to be afraid of new foods.
This fear even has its own name, neophobia. Then children refuse to eat things seemingly for no reason and, above all, without trying. This phase can last until children are around six years old.
Sometimes an aversion to certain foods persists beyond that. Eating problems with fruit and vegetables are very common. Even some teenagers still have a hard time with it.
How do you react correctly if the child doesn't want to eat?
As adults, we tend to take it personally when someone criticizes our food or when our child doesn't eat. All the effort we put into cooking or baking, all the food we used seems wasted.
However, a child does not want to annoy or provoke anyone with his behavior. The decision not to eat something is entirely up to you. That is, he says no to a meal because he doesn't like the dish or the ingredients, but not because mom and dad cooked it.
However, it learns very quickly that the parents react to it. And depending on how they react when the child refuses a meal, eating problems can be exacerbated. That's why we have a few tips on how you can react to your offspring when they sit at the table again with seemingly no appetite.
Important:Anyone who is seriously worried about their child because they are eating so poorly that their health appears to be at risk should always consult a doctor.
1. Stay calm
It sounds way too simple, but to avoid eating becoming a 'problem', parents should remain calm if the child refuses the whole meal or parts of it. Instead, you should signal to your child that it is okay to not like something and that you can leave it alone. Nothing more, nothing less.
2. Allow hunger
Most mothers today always have a little something with them when they go somewhere with their child. An apple here, a muesli bar there and then maybe a small roll at the bakery for the children while mom gets the whole grain bread for dinner.
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A child can't really get hungry if he or she snacks like this throughout the day. So if the child tends to cherry-pick the main meals, it may be because they are not hungry enough to eat a whole meal. Only their appetite allows them to try one or the other.
So just reduce the snacks in between and let yourself feel hungry. Because children who feel more than just an appetite will eat.
3. Prepare and prepare food together
If you help with the shopping and preparation, you probably won't complain about the taste of the food. Even small children can help in the kitchen, for example washing and cleaning vegetables or stirring the soup or sauce with a wooden spoon. And after the fun of cooking, the food will also taste good.
4. There is something for everyone
Just because the child doesn't like broccoli doesn't mean parents shouldn't make it if they are big fans of the green vegetable themselves. What is important when it comes to eating is that there is something for everyone, everyone can eat everything, but they don't have to eat everything.
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5. Let the child choose their portion
Because eating and not eating is also about autonomy to a certain extent, it is good to let the child decide for themselves how much of what they want to eat. This way he doesn't feel pressured to eat something he doesn't want. And parents relieve themselves of the pressure of constantly having to ask the child to continue eating.
6. Eat together
Eating is not only important for providing energy to the body, but it is also social. When we eat together we exchange ideas, laugh together and make plans. The focus is not only on eating, but also on being together. That's why it's absolutely not a bad thing if someone at the table isn't very hungry or the carrots are left on their plate.
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7. Lead by example
Children learn their eating habits from their parents. That's why it's important that young and old eat the same thing together. No extra dishes for the parents and no extra dishes for the children either. And it's best that mom and dad actually eat with you when the child comes to the table. Because if the parents only watch the child eat, but don't eat anything themselves, this raises questions in the offspring as to why they have to eat now, but mom and dad don't.
Important NOTE:The content of this article is for informational purposes only and does not replace a diagnosis from a doctor. If you are very worried, have uncertainties, have urgent questions or complaints, you should contact your doctor.
