{"id":1738,"date":"2020-09-30T08:51:43","date_gmt":"2020-09-30T08:51:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/protavimata.cambovps.com\/if-your-child-is-a-picky-eater\/"},"modified":"2021-06-11T10:50:43","modified_gmt":"2021-06-11T10:50:43","slug":"if-your-child-is-a-picky-eater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/protavimata.cambovps.com\/en\/if-your-child-is-a-picky-eater\/","title":{"rendered":"When your child is a picky eater"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u201cWhat are these green little things\u201d, \u201cpew, what is that smell\u201d, \u201cbut I am not hungry\u201d…have you also heard your child complaining like this about their food? Your child\u2019s picky eating or its reluctance to try new foods may be stressful for you, but remember that it\u2019s your response that will determine whether this behavior will be prolonged in the future or whether it will gradually change!<\/p>\n

It is important to recognize this stage of food rejection as a necessary transitional stage in your child\u2019s development. Besides, it is only natural for a person who is just discovering the world to feel more comfortable with foods and meals they are already familiar with. Picky eating or neophobia emerge during the preschool age (2-6 years of age) while meta-analysis research has shown that already since the 2 years of age, one in four children regularly develop such behaviors.<\/p>\n

Does my child receive all the nutrients they need?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If your child grows at the expected rate (based on the growth charts) and it\u2019s healthy as well as energetic enough, you probably have no reason to worry about them receiving all the nutrients they need from their meals. So don\u2019t start preparing a different meal if they start nagging about food – on the contrary, let them choose what they want and as much as they want from the selection already served on the table.<\/p>\n

How should you handle it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

You should first remember that deceptive behavior (\u201cno there is no dill in the soup\u201d), bribing (\u201ceat the broccoli and dad will buy you a train set\u201d), threatening or punishments (\u201cif you don\u2019t eat it, you will go to your room\u201d) are not part of a healthy dietary behavior. Your child\u2019s acceptance of some foods may be a long process and it requires calmness and patience, not excessive enthusiasm (e.g. by making each spoon an airplane coming in for a landing in its mouth). So equip yourselves with patience and try the following:<\/p>\n