Mealtime for many parents can be a real ordeal. Children have to eat everything, to eat a balanced diet and be well fed. We want them to eat well and healthy, and in their attempt we can make some mistakes that can prevent us from achieving it.
Food is essential for our children to develop properly. That is why we leave you a list of 8 mistakes when wanting to teach your children to eat so that you avoid them. In this way we will ensure that children have a healthy relationship with food from a very young age.
Use television or cell phones to make them eat
It is a resource of the most used by parents in an attempt to entertain themselves and thus eat more. It may seem harmless, but unfortunately it is one of the worst mistakes that you can commit during the meal.
For children, food is a discovery. They are exploring flavors, textures and sensations. Children must connect with this stage of discovery. If you put the television or the mobile on them, they stay abducted and eat automatically. They have to explore, pick up the fork, grasp the food with their hands, stain themselves, and taste the flavors.
The same goes for parents. If your child does not let him play with his toy while eating, you cannot use your mobile. Children already know that they learn from example. Put your phone aside while you eat.
In addition, food can be a great time to be with the family and connect with each other. The best thing is to turn off the television or mobile phone, and have them watch it at another time.
Offer them another meal
How typical of a mother to say "if you don't like it, I'll do something else for you." If you give a child the option of eating a dish that another that they have never tried, obviously you will choose what you already know. With this technique we will prevent you from trying new things. If he does not like that he does not eat it, you should not worry, he will eat more at the next meal.
They must learn that sometimes they will like food more than others. We are not doing them any favors by making them a different meal.
Force them to eat
How many times have I heard that "you don't move from the table until you eat it." This phrase It caused me anxiety, sadness and a stomach ache from force eating.
Children eat more one day and less eat another day. Do not force him to eat, do not make the meal become a bad time.
Introduce food ahead of time
Up to 6 months the WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding, and from then on supplementing it with other foods. If you try to put foods like cereals or fruit ahead of time, the only thing you will get is that he has stomach problems. The pediatrician will be the one to tell you which foods to introduce one by one so that you can try them.
Don't let them stain
Children stain when eating. They pick up the food with their hands, it falls on them… don't scold them or worry. It is normal! They are experimenting and to make them feel more autonomous they will want to eat alone. It takes them longer and they get lost, but for them it is more rewarding. Don't take that away from them.
Fill the plate to the top
For a child who is a bad eater, Seeing a plate from the top can be very daunting. If what we wanted is to eat more, we can achieve the opposite effect. It is better to leave it more empty and repeat if you want.
Discard food
As they experience flavors, there is always some food that resists them. Don't take it for granted, there may be some way to cook it that you like. Go trying different recipes with that food.
Become obsessed
It is an issue that worries a lot but you should not obsess over food. Children pick up on those feelings and pass them on to them.
Why remember ... eating healthy or not is a learned habit. Parents have to do our part for their relationship with food to be healthy.