When Children Give Trouble in Eating

Feeding young children can become a Herculean task at times. No matter how hard parents try, kids sometimes just refuse to eat. There are also instances when a child may take 40 minutes to finish just one bowl of cereal. There are some children who habitually give trouble in eating while others may do it occasionally. The various reasons a child does not eat can be:

1. The child is already full. He or she has eaten something just before meals and is not feeling hungry.

2. The child is so preoccupied with something (for instance a toy )that he is just not interested in eating.

3. The child is unwell and does not fell like eating anything.

4. He enjoys the attention which he gets when his mother after him to finish his food.

5. He does not like a particular dish served in the meal.

 Following tips may help to feed children who are troublesome eaters:

1. If the child appears to be disinterested in food, serve it after sometime.

2. If the child habitually troubles in a particular meal say lunch or dinner, you can probably alter meal timings a little.

3. Make sure the environment is free from distractions. Presence of a new toy or a sibling playing with ball may serve to distract a child.

4. Being a little creative with food helps. Grate carrots in sandwich to add colour. Make a smiley with ketchup on the child’s pancake. Look for ways to improve the visual appeal of food.

5. Serve food in colorful containers. Children may sometimes be more interested in eating as they like bright and colourful plates and bowls.

6. Tell the little one about an interesting story or an incident. Children at times may get so engrossed in listening to stories that they just do not realize parent is feeding them.