What To Do If My Child Doesn’t Want To Eat
The hypotheses that arise when we ask ourselves what to do if the child does not want to eat are diverse: he may be sick, perhaps he doesn’t like the food, or it may be a matter of attitude. Almost all parents have gone through moments when they face the child’s refusal. Certainly, this fills us with concern.
However, this lack of appetite can have many reasons and it is possible that most of them have nothing to do with negative causes. So, in this article, we’re going to talk about several things you should consider and, of course, possible solutions for your child to finally eat.
What to do if my child doesn’t want to eat
Find the source of the refusal
The first aspect we must consider is why the child does not eat. There are several reasons for this to happen and many of them can be explained by the child’s age.
- Children between 1 and 5 years old. According to nutrition experts, at the age of one year, children decrease their ability to eat compared to the previous months of life.
- We may think that they don’t want to eat, but in fact they are filled quickly and according to their body’s demands.
- From 6 to 8 years of life. During these ages, children start to eat more. This fact coincides with the moment when your physical growth becomes more accentuated.
psychological causes
Overly spoiled children may refuse to sit at the table to eat. It is also often the case that, at preschool age, they feel rejection for food. This is mainly because during school hours, they usually eat snacks and sweets. So, when it’s time to eat the main course, hunger is already satisfied.
specific diseases
In very specific cases, in the first year of life, children may refuse to eat food due to illnesses linked to the malfunction of the kidneys, lungs or gastrointestinal system. Always consult your doctor if you have any questions or if there is a permanent refusal of all foods.
What to do if my child does not want to eat: solve the problem
Once we know the possible causes, we should focus on what to do to make the child want to eat. As always, it’s important to distinguish between the child who isn’t hungry and the one who doesn’t specifically want to eat the foods you’re offering.
Remember, you shouldn’t overfeed your child either. In many cases, even if the portions seem small, the child may have reached his maximum capacity. Thus, your stomach cannot receive any more food.
Helpful Tips
Here’s a list of simple, practical ideas for reversing this bad habit:
- Serve the child’s age-appropriate portions of food on the biggest plate you have at home. This creates a visual effect whereby the child will believe they are getting very small amounts of food and will thus gobble it all up.
- Do not let them drink juice or water before eating the main dish. If you do this, the child will easily become full and thus have no more room in the stomach.
- Turn off the television and ask to store toys 20 minutes before a meal. Thus, the child will have no distractions and will be able to concentrate on the act of eating. While you wait, your appetite will be awakened.
- Never use mealtime as a time to argue with the child, ask about behavior at school, or scold him for messy room. You’re going to condition her to associate eating time with judgment time.
- Don’t give in to whims or extravagances. So, if the child insists on eating in bed or watching television, or if he doesn’t want to eat certain foods, just sweets, don’t play the game.
- In that sense you have to stand firm! Give her her space and wait until she’s hungry and decides to eat whatever foods you offer at the table.
- Avoid giving an excessive amount of foods high in sugar, fast foods or fried foods. It has been shown that children who overeat sweets or foods that include flavor enhancers such as monosodium glutamate – found in fast food – later become reluctant to eat healthy or homemade foods.
As a final recommendation, never punish your child if he doesn’t want to eat. Also, don’t leave him sitting at the table all day, and also rate the portion sizes of food you serve.
By following these ideas for consuming pulses, vegetables, and protein, you’ll find it’s going to be simple to get your child to eat the amount of food his body needs.
