Picky Eaters

Greetings to all families! Like I promised, I will start posting here on a regular weekly basis, still solely focusing on helping mothers through the hurdles of child development. This week I thought it would be fitting to talk about a struggle all parents through, picky eaters. 
Before we get into the nitty gritty that is picky eating, what I’ve learned from my many years of working with children is that more often than not when toddlers push the food away, it isn’t because they dislike the meal but rather that they aren’t hungry to begin with. Many parents confuse this with them being picky resulting in traumatizing tantrums. So, if you try to feed your baby to no avail for more than 15 minutes, chances are that they aren’t hungry. 
Now when we think of the term “picky eaters,” we think of children just attached to several dishes or sometimes, just desserts. But why, why are children such picky eaters? There are a plethora of reasons for this. For instance, many toddlers may have not grown accustomed to solid foods, new textures, taste etc., however those expire with time. However, there are many ways that this can be prevented. By nature, for many babies, context affects experience. It may seem to be a tricky concept, but in many cases, children would rather eat a carrot after seeing Bugs Bunny eat it than eat something they normally prefer. It may seem strange, but statistics show that how a child’s favorite person or character on a T.V. acts towards certain foods reflect how a growing child also perceives that food. Another reliable method is to closely structure meal times for your kids so they eat 3 times a day and several snacks between meals. This helps ensure that your child adapts to the interval, and will likely want to eat at those times. It is also important to note that in these meals, variety is the key factor. If your toddler sometimes refuses, bring it in small portions so they can become used to the taste. 
So these were some of the tactics I used with my children and the children I’ve worked with over the years, and I can confidently say that these definitely worked for me, and I urge parents to try these with their children. 


Quote of the Day by His Holiness.
"We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection."