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Welcome parents and curious kids,
This section of the website is meant for you and will be dedicated to giving you tips and information as it relates to a number of mealtime issues. As parents, you know that sometimes raising kids does not always go “by the book.” Infants don’t always eat by a schedule, toddlers can be picky and their schedule may be unpredictable, and pre-schoolers can go on a food-jag. If you are having a specific concern, and would like more information, you can always e-mail us and we will do our best to address those concerns.
Picky Eaters - 1 of 4
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How to Live With a Picky Eater
1st in a 4 part series on picky eaters:
- “What is a picky eater?”
- “How to avoid mealtime battles.”
- “How to encourage healthy eating habits.”
- “When to Worry.”
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You’re worried because meal after meal, your child turns away from the food you prepared and she asks for macaroni and cheese – again! This isn’t how it is supposed to go. As the attentive, health conscious parent, you feel that it is your job to prepare a healthy, well balanced meal, and it is the child’s job to run to the table and happily eat all that you prepared. For many households, living with a child who is a picky eater presents some challenges. One of the biggest challenges is wondering if your child will be able to survive on the little amount of food he seems to consume. You may also worry that she will be a picky eater as an adult, or that your child won’t grow up “big and strong.” You may also wonder what happened to that adorable infant who seemed to like anything and everything put in front of her. What is going on and why didn’t anyone tell you that this might happen? Let’s talk……
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What is a picky eater?
A picky eater …
- may have only a handful of foods he will eat.
- may gag or spit up certain textures of foods
- may refuse to eat at mealtime
- may eat plenty one day and almost nothing the next few days
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Is the child described above a picky eater or a normal toddler?
Much of the literature and pediatric information available discusses the “normal” eating behavior of a toddler. The changes in their eating routines and mealtime behaviors have more to do with what is going on developmentally with a child age 1 to 3 years of age. Think about the developmental task of a toddler. According to Erik Erickson, a toddler’s tasks during this time are to master walking, talking and feeding skills. A child shouldn’t feel shame and doubt about his capabilities- rather, their feelings of self-worth are increased when they are given opportunities to be successful in their quest for independence and autonomy.
So what does all that mean?
It means that your child is most likely behaving in a way that is developmentally appropriate and she is not doing this to drive you crazy, but to prove to herself that “I can do it.” That isn’t to say that you won’t feel quite frustrated in your efforts to be a responsible, health conscious parent. You will, but this stage won’t last forever if you can keep from making mealtimes a battleground. We will talk more about that in our next segment of “Picky Eating.”
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