2023 Author: Anita Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-22 03:30
You introduced him to all kinds of foods when he was a toddler and now he refuses to eat what made him happy not so long ago? Why does it change like this?
At the time of purees, baby ate squash, carrots, turnips, later he loved mushrooms and chicken? Now that he is 3 years old, he wants nothing to do with his old favorite dishes and pushes all the mushrooms off his plate, pouts at the carrots and demands pasta every day! What a puzzle!
It's that between the ages of 2 and 5, the child lives another period of intense transformations and it's not over, there will be others! What we took for granted no longer holds and it is up to the parents to adjust to these changes, even if they upset the family routine. Food is part of these upheavals since it is a way for children to assert themselves, to learn, to discover.
Affirmation
Doing like the greats now motivates his actions. He wants to touch, do himself what you did for him and demonstrate that he is able to decide. The crisis of the "terrible two" which is experienced more or less intensely, the presence of brother andolder sister who are en titled to privileges because of their age, the need for attention and the example of other children at daycare are also factors that fuel her need for assertion. As we eat three times a day, food and the habits that result from it are necessarily part of a territory of claims.
Whims
Our tolerance towards the whims of our children differs according to the parents, it is up to each one to temper what is acceptable or not. But sometimes you have to make compromises because the goal is that our children get from their food what they need to grow well and stay he althy!
Food presentation. He only agrees to eat his toast if it is in a triangle. He wants cheese cubes instead of strips. He calls for a smiling man on his plate. While it's true that we don't always have the time or the inclination to comply with these innocent whims, they remain benign compromises. We take this opportunity to tell him that today we have time to satisfy his request, but that another time, we may not be able to.
Autonomy. He wants to pour his glass of milk, cut his own piece of celery, wash his apple before eating it, etc. It is completely normal and he althy that as children grow older, they assert themselves by making big gestures. Naturally, we supervise closely, we accept the fact that there will be damage and we congratulate him on his evolution!
Changes. He liked carrots and he doesn't want them anymore. He only wants peanut butter and nothing else on his toast. He rejects the new food that you present to him, whereas before he did not care. Tastes evolve even among adults, so it is normal that a food loved one day no longer obtains the expected success the next. As the important thing is that the child has a varied diet rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber, allow him to choose between two vegetables, between eating them for lunch or supper, etc. Involving him or allowing him to choose between two options will satisfy his need to assert himself.
Quantity. If you think your child is not eating enough at me altimes, offer more nutritious snacks between meals. Fruits and vegetables, dairy products and cereals of good quality in snacks accumulate in the nutrients of meals. It is better for him to eat small amounts more often during the day than to deprive him between meals on the pretext that the snacks spoil the appetite. Remember that he has a small stomach and he becomes full faster than an adult. On the other hand, as a preschooler spends a lot of energy in a day, snacks are necessary to keep them waiting until the next meal.
Ability to concentrate. Perhaps you are worried when your child is having fun instead of eating? It is normal for a child to quickly loseinterest in an activity whether playing or even eating. Be patient! The ability to focus on one thing at a time gradually increases between ages two and five, but remains limited.
A few tips
- Don't worry about your little ones' clumsiness. They are constantly learning and it is completely normal to make mistakes! We don't dispute them for a damage, we ask him to help pick up and we make him an accomplice by telling him that next time he will do better!
- Children learn a lot by watching you. Eat slowly, be calm during meals and enjoy the good taste of food aloud. So your little ones will learn to practice the good habits you practice yourself.
- Allow him to choose between two vegetables, between two he althy snacks, etc. The fact that he participates makes the meal even more interesting for him!
- Never force a child to finish his plate. The threat of not having dessert or punishment will make meals a tense time, which will not help the next meal. According to nutritionist Stéphanie Côté, the pressures, as well as the control and restrictions that a child undergoes, can lead to overweight or eating behavior problems by forcing him to ignore the messages of his body.
- Enjoy eating well, it will be contagious. Being a role modelfor her child is more effective in improving her diet than any attempt to control what she eats.
