{"id":19657,"date":"2022-06-29T17:29:16","date_gmt":"2022-06-29T15:29:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/howtotalk.com\/?p=19657"},"modified":"2022-06-29T17:30:42","modified_gmt":"2022-06-29T15:30:42","slug":"help-my-child-is-a-picky-eater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/howtotalk.com\/en\/help-my-child-is-a-picky-eater","title":{"rendered":"Help! My child is a picky eater"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Many kids go through the \u201cpicky eater\u201d phase \u2013 so don\u2019t worry! It\u2019s not just your child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s dive in. <em>WHY<\/em> are children like this?! It\u2019s an extremely frustrating and overwhelming problem to deal with as a parent. Chances are, you\u2019re worried they aren\u2019t getting the proper nutrition, stressed they\u2019ll wake up hungry at 2 am, and concerned about their long-term development.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But guess what? The more you stress over them not eating, the less they\u2019re likely to actually eat. The moment they sense that they have power in the situation (i.e. not eating what you\u2019re offering them) they will hold onto that for as long as they can. They\u2019re testing your limit. They\u2019re exploring their own independence. It\u2019s not a personal attack against you or your cooking skills \u2013 but rather a developmental phase that all humans go through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Do\u2019s and Don\u2019ts of Mealtimes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even though children must test boundaries and learn limits, that doesn\u2019t mean there has to be a battle every night at dinner time. These are our top tips when it comes to mealtimes and getting your child to listen, cooperate, and eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Create a Schedule.<\/strong> Kids LOVE consistency \u2013 even if they don\u2019t know it. Having a dedicated time for meals and snacks will work wonders. Don\u2019t allow them to eat outside of these times. If they\u2019re hungry when it\u2019s mealtime, they\u2019re more likely to eat what you put in front of them!<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Offer Healthy Choices.<\/strong> If you\u2019re concerned about nutrition, only offer options that are healthy. By doing so, you\u2019re building their independence and decision-making abilities at the same time.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Keep it simple.<\/strong> \u201cThis is what we\u2019re having for dinner. If you don\u2019t like it, you\u2019re excused from the table.\u201d However, keep a plate on the side in the event that they come back saying they\u2019re hungry. Only give them this plate as an option and nothing else. After a few rounds of this, they will learn to eat the food provided.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>No Distractions.<\/strong> No airplanes. No tasty desserts as a reward. No TV or tablet while eating. You want your child to build a good relationship with food, and that will only happen if they\u2019re aware of what they\u2019re eating. \u00a0<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Involve Your Child.<\/strong> Get your child involved in preparing dinner! They will be more excited and motivated to eat when they have some transition time and this allows for that. Get them to set the table if they\u2019re on the young side, or have them help you cook if they\u2019re old enough.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Eat at the Table \u2013 Together. <\/strong>Make dinner an enjoyable situation for everyone. Eat dinner at the table and use this time as a way of connecting with each other. Share your \u201crose and thorn\u201d of the day (the best and worst part of your day) and focus on each other and enjoying family time, rather than exactly what you\u2019re eating. This will help your child build a healthy relationship with food.\u00a0<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Say Goodbye to the \u201cClean Plate Club\u201d.<\/strong> Trust your child. Trust their bodies. Trust them when they say they\u2019re full. If they have been given a plate full of nutritious food and only ate half, that\u2019s ok! Finishing their plate should no longer be a measure of a healthy appetite. Sidenote: did you know a child\u2019s stomach is roughly the size of their fists put together? That\u2019s small! Ensure you\u2019re serving age-appropriate portions.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Let it Go.<\/strong> Let go of all the stress and worry you\u2019re carrying around about food. Your role as the parent is to help your child build a healthy relationship with food. This will lay the foundation for the rest of their lives. Show them that food is a moment of connection and teach your child to trust their body.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Set a Good Example.<\/strong> As with most parenting things \u2013 your child will mirror you. If they hear you speaking negatively about food, weight, and body image, then it\u2019s likely they will pick up some of those qualities. Set a good example by not over-obsessing about food, and show them that meals are a time for family connection and enjoying a moment together.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s a no-brainer that children can really test your limits, patience, and emotional capacity \u2013 we\u2019ve got you! Check out more tips and scripts in the Howtotalk app all about mealtimes and food.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Happy parenting!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many kids go through the \u201cpicky eater\u201d phase \u2013 so don\u2019t worry! It\u2019s not just your child. Let\u2019s dive in. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19644,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19657","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-0-12-weeks","category-3-6-months"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Help! My child is a picky eater - howtotalk.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Many kids go through the \u201cpicky eater\u201d phase \u2013 so don\u2019t worry! It\u2019s not just your child. 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