Toddlers are cool little people. I like them a lot. That being said, sometimes they can be a bit of a challenge when it comes to the matter of EATING! I am sure that if you are an owner of a toddler or have spent any amount of time with one during a meal, you have picked up on some of their quirky tendencies..... eating/demanding the same food for weeks at a time, taking a spoonful of Tater Tot Hot Dish and magically rejecting only the peas while still enjoying and chewing the rest, unreciprocated 'cafeteria food fights', and the ever frustrating refusal to try anything new!
I certainly do not have one magical answer to solve all of your toddler eating dilemmas, but I can offer you some helpful tips from my own experience to make your future mealtimes a little more enjoyable:
1. Toddlers are notorious for not appearing to be great eaters. But, they will not starve themselves. If your kiddo seems to not eat much for a few days, do not panic! Look at their eating patterns a week at a time rather than on a daily basis. They will eat if they are hungry.
2. You are not a short order cook! Free yourself from your child's reigns by preparing a meal for the family and setting an expectation that what is before them is what is being served! You may think, 'But all they will eat is hot dogs.....they have to eat something!' I would say, yes. They have to eat something and that something is the meal you have prepared. It may take a few meals for your child to understand the expectation, but if you stick to your guns they will learn! If they reject the meal, then they have a chance to eat at the next meal....no extra snacks later when they say they are hungry! The 'I don't like this food and will not try it' strike is usually short lived and they will survive until the next meal is served...promise!
3. If your little one really likes one part of the meal, they can for sure have more! But it will require them to try out something else on their plate that maybe is not their favorite. We use this a lot in my classroom to attempt to expose the toddlers to new foods. It goes like this:
'More fruit please'
'Ok, you can have some more fruit but first I want you to try a green bean. What does it taste like?'
'No'
'If you want more fruit, you can show me how you try a green bean. I will wait for you.'
(Angry face...dirty looks)
'Are you ready to try one?'
(Long pause, more dirty looks. Finally one bean tried...a bit reluctantly to say the least)
'Thanks for trying one. Did you like it? Here is some more fruit.'
The key is that each request that comes thereafter will require a bit more than just one bite....'If you would like more fruit again, you can eat 6 green beans or 3 bites of mashed potatoes this time'.....the more times they try a food, the more they will acquire a taste for it in the future. Lets challenge their taste buds (and strong wills)!
4. Meal time is not crazy kid time! Establish a few non-negotiable rules that work for your family (no singing or yelling, we all sit until mom/dad say its time to be done, etc..). If your child is breaking the rules, move their plate out of the way or remove their food from their high chair tray and continue your meal with little eye contact and discussion. After a bit you can ask them if they are ready to try again....if they say 'NO' (which they love to do), it's their choice and their plate/food stays put. If they say, 'Yes', then return their plate/food and continue with your meal. Again consistency is key...set an expectation and stick to it!
5. Ok enough with the negative behaviors...mealtime is fun too and a great opportunity for a chat and some quality family bonding! Conversation is encouraged at the table...talk about your day, about the weather, about your favorite animal, about anything!!
6. Involve your kiddo in some of the food prep! If they are a part of creating what is served, they may be more invested in trying it. Ask them to help choose a few things ('Should we make corn or peas?') Ask them for help....even if its little stuff like pouring the pasta into the water (with supervision of course), helping to toss the salad, or carrying the ketchup bottle to the table! Everyone can be a helper and an active participant!
7. Give them some fun stuff to eat off of and to eat with (I found these at the Bibelot...but you can find fun and inexpensive dish ware at Target and the like. Doesn't have to be fancy, just fun!)
I hope these tips will be a springboard for delightful mealtimes for the whole
family and help your toddler people to learn healthy habits for being successful in all their eating adventures!
No comments:
Post a Comment