How to Feed Toddlers and Choosy Eaters
Encouraging your toddler to eat is often a power struggle. Toddlers are easily distracted and have trouble sitting still during meal time. They are just beginning to explore their world and exercise their independence in little ways. They may not have much freedom yet, but eating is one of the few things that they can control. Letting your toddler choose his food isnt such a bad idea. It may even help both of you if your let him pick from healthy food choices.
Toddlers are defiant by nature. The harder you persuade them the more stubborn they will be. Punishing them will only make things worse. Instead of forcing your child to eat, you may want to try a more subtle approach. Toddlers are rebellious but this doesnt mean they cant be tricked. With some craftiness and persistence you can get your little rebel to eat. A little creativity would go a long way.
Most parents are wondering how toddlers can manage to last for a long time without going hungry. They never seem to starve even if they had just one decent meal the whole day. Depriving them of snacks wont make them hungrier during meal time. The sad truth is that a toddler wont eat something unless he likes it. A bowl of broccoli is still a bowl of broccoli. It doesnt matter what time of day you serve it.
Surprisingly, most toddlers get enough nutrition from what they eat. Your child should be alright as long as he is gaining weight and developing normally. Toddlers dont need as much calories as we do. A daily caloric intake of around 1,300 should be enough for their age group. The reason why many parents are anxious about their toddlers diet is because they overestimate the amount of food that they should be eating.
Serving smaller-sized portions may get your child to eat more during meal time. An ideal measure of toddler-size portions would be a quarter of whatever you would consume. A whole slice of bread is too much for a toddler. Half-sized portions of fresh fruit, bread and eggs are more manageable for your toddler. Instead of giving a whole cup of yogurt, scoop out 1/3 into a separate container and keep the rest for later. Encourage him to eat at least one to two tablespoons of vegetables.
Never bargain with your toddler by offering sweets as a reward for eating vegetables. You will both end up losing in the long run. You can probably get him to finish his vegetables by offering a cookie in return. Nonetheless, this tactic only works for the mean time. Bribing your child with dessert only teaches him the wrong values. Using dessert as a reward after meals shows your child that sweet treats are more valuable than the meal itself.
Let your child sit with you during meal time. This practice has been shown to impart proper eating habits on children. Your toddler will be encouraged to eat healthier food if he also sees you doing the same. Theres nothing wrong with emphasizing the benefits of eating vegetables. Just remember to keep it subtle. Showing excessive approval with every bite of veggies might lead your toddler to dislike them even more.
Leighonas Duforrific is the loving parent of two kids and loves writing about situations parents are usually faced with. Check out her Ladybug Parade Crib Bedding Collections or his Finley By Glenna Jean
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