From the moment they are born, children develop eating habits that will last a lifetime. One of the best things parents and caregivers can do to make sure these habits are healthy is to promote eating in a positive way.
Teaching children to eat is a lot like teaching the alphabet, tying their shoes, or being around others. It requires the caregiver to be patient, sometimes creative, and encouragingly thoughtful while allowing the child to explore.
It begins the moment a child is born. Babies control their growth needs by eating when they are hungry and often by sleeping when they are full.
Around nine to ten months of age, children should eat more textured foods, often called snacks. By then, children have learned to grasp food with their fingers and can pick up small pieces that will eventually make their way into their mouths. Children often put food in their mouths and take it out to look at, touch, feel, and may put it back.
The learning process takes time and will be complicated, but it is a great skill builder. It is a good time to introduce the foods the family consumes and helps lay the foundation for lifelong eating behaviors.
Look out for clues of plenitude: Has food become an art project? Are you lying on the ground? Definitely signs of fullness; use this as a teaching moment. Talk about feelings of being full and hungry, so your child can recognize those feelings next time.
Resist the urge to sneak in a few more bites of food or haggle to keep eating because you think your child hasn’t had enough. That sends a very confusing message and can promote overeating.
Showing approval or disapproval for eating or not eating only tells the child that food has become more than just a source of energy to fuel the body. It has become something that can manipulate parents; it can be an attention-grabbing resource and a tool to drive everyone in the family crazy. We tell children in many subtle ways that food has many meanings.
Follow these steps to encourage healthy eating habits:
- Set regular times for snacks and meals so children know what to expect.
- Offer choices by offering foods that help them grow and are enjoyable to eat.
- Offer variety even if your child wants to eat the same thing all the time.
- Be a positive role model; try not to label foods “good” or “bad.”
- Meals should be a pleasant and stress-free gathering of family members.
- Let the children decide how much to eat and let them eat at their own pace.
- Give hugs and kisses instead of ice cream and candy for positive behavior.
- Avoid discussions about food in relation to body shape – yours, your child’s, or someone else’s. The goal of eating is to be healthy and physically capable of living, playing, learning, and having fun.
Internationally recognized food and nutrition expert Ellyn Satter (www.EllynSatter.com) has some wonderful additional tips on how to encourage positive eating habits. Satter establishes “divisions of responsibility” for feeding babies and for feeding toddlers to teenagers. She clearly defines how a parent or caregiver should approach age-appropriate feeding and expectations for children.
Remember that parents and caregivers are a child’s most important role model.
