The Finicky Eater
As a parent you can't get your child
to eat if he doesn't want to. What you
can do, however, is stop pressuring him
to eat, and teach him to behave at the
table. Then his/her eating will take care
of itself.
To help your child enjoy a variety of
foods maintain a division of responsibility
for eating.
The Division of Responsibility
The parent is responsible for:
- Choosing and preparing regular meals
and snacks
- Limiting between-times grazing for
food or caloric beverages like pop,
sweetened drinks and juice
- Making eating times pleasant (don't
pressure your child to eat)
- Offering a variety of foods (include
something your child likes to eat as
part of your meal, instead of making
a separate meal for your child)
- Teaching children about food and mealtime
behaviour
- Respecting eating quirks
- Getting help with your own eating
if you need it
The child is responsible for:
- Deciding how much they want to eat
- Deciding whether they want to eat
If both parents and children do their
jobs with eating:
- Children will eat the amount they
need
- They will eat an increasing variety
of food
- They will grow predictably
- They will learn to behave well at
the table
Adapted from "How To Get Your
Kid To Eat... But Not Too Much", by
Ellyn Satter RD.
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