3 Reasons Not To Make Your Child Eat If He Doesn’t Want To
The process of getting babies used to eating requires a lot of patience on our part. This is because we take it more as a duty.
Somehow, we were convinced that “it should” start with solid foods. Consequently, we ended up forcing the children to eat.
It often happens that we are interested in following this advice because we don’t want to breastfeed anymore. The problem with this is that the child is not always easily excited about eating in a different way.
We all know how difficult it is to get them used to eating. From this stage onwards, the mealtime becomes the most difficult part of the day.
Why shouldn’t we make children eat?
All the little planes in the story and the baby food collected from the ground explain that, for babies, it is difficult to adapt to the so-called “complementary food”. While it’s true that they need to get more nutrients in their diet, it’s not good to force them.
Just because the pediatrician said it’s time to eat vegetables and cereals doesn’t mean that this will become a reality overnight.
It is essential that we let them eat their way, all other options imply an unnecessary obligation.
Complementary food is just that, a complement. It doesn’t mean that we’re going to replace all the old feed with the new one, but rather that we’re going to add something different.
A common mistake is to start feeding the same food as adults. Sometimes we may think that babies will suffer from severe nutritional deficiencies if we don’t, and that’s also a mistake.
Among the main reasons for not forcing children to eat are the following:
Daily requirements according to age
Pediatricians sometimes suggest a specific amount of food per day. However, this measure is often wrong for different reasons.
For example, we don’t measure the amount and end up making a very concentrated baby food that contains more than the child needs.
Also, since she ends up not eating everything, we don’t know how much nutrients she needs to eat. Also, if we breastfeed to supplement, maybe we are overfeeding our child.
On the other hand, every baby is different. Therefore, not everyone “needs” 300 ml of baby food a day.
According to the studies, the approximate requirements are as follows:
- 6-month-old girls, approximately 819 kcal maximum. Boys, maximum 779 kcal
- At 9 months, a girl may require approximately 859 kcal, while boys up to 924 kcal
- One-year-old girls, from 500 to 1000 kcal. In this case, for boys it is estimated approximately between 479 and 1160 kcal
- Boys and girls aged 18 months may require an energy equivalent to 1200 kcal
- When they reach 24 months, the maximum for a boy is 1300 and for girls 1273 kcal.
The add-on is not the main
If we force children to eat the supplement as if it were a main food, we can change their nutrient level. Either because the pediatrician told us something else or because of the confusion, we ended up wrongly offering these foods.
It’s true that your baby needs extra nutrients. However, it is something he needs progressively. It is important to note that, in terms of energy expenditure, perhaps the age and gender of the children have a great influence.
Consequently, we can make the mistake of forcing them to overeat.
For example, children of the same age will not necessarily eat the same. Likewise, we make the mistake of comparing them to the little brother or friend who ate the most.
Breast milk remains the main food. Purees and baby food are the complement. It doesn’t matter whether the children want to eat or not. They know how much they need to eat, so they shouldn’t be forced.
If they don’t like solid foods…
As attractive as the recipe may seem, the child is not familiar with solid foods.
Likewise, she does not know how to eat them, she is not used to spoons or cups, she only knows her mother’s breast. This adaptation process is slow, but we tend to rush it a little.
It is advisable that children can find out in their own way and that they themselves decide whether to taste the food.
Before they can decide whether to eat what we serve, they must feel confident about what is on their plates. They should analyze with their hands the texture of the food, as well as the smell.
It is important that we let the child try whole foods rather than crushed.
So it’s better to give a piece of fruit cut in the shape of a stick, or perhaps a whole boiled vegetable. It’s better that they can try to eat without pressure. If they don’t, whatever.
Offering food is also part of the training. Ask if they want this fruit, if they prefer to touch it, or if they want to taste it. Taste is formed over time, it is not an overnight thing.
Definitely, some foods will not please. If the child doesn’t like something, there is no way to make him eat. Nobody wants to be forced to eat something they don’t like. As parents, we need to put ourselves in our children’s shoes.
