Fussy eaters
Every parent knows that food refusal and fussy eating go hand-in-hand with having children. We've all experienced family meals that are challenging to say the least. But for some parents it's a real stress and not just a conversation filler over coffee.
Our children, like ourselves, will develop food preferences and eating patterns early in life. Yet it's important that parents know that some food rejection is normal. It's also important that food rejection is handled correctly to avoid restrictive eating habits from persisting into later life.
Persevere, don't pressurise
We now realise that children may need to be offered a new food eight to ten times before they will accept it, yet the majority of parents with fussy eaters are inclined to give up if the child has rejected the same food three or four times. So the message is to persevere but don't pressurise.
Continue to prepare broccoli or carrots as part of the family meal, as a side vegetable, as part of a pureed soup, mashed with parsnip, whatever. Chances are that after a few exposures (in a relaxed and calm setting) your child will develop a taste for the "yuck" after all.
Are they getting enough? Offer gentle encouragement if you think they're not making an effort. But really young children have an innate sense of how much food they need to eat. Over 24 hours they balance out their intake very well. However, they are not so good at knowing what to eat. That's your job as a parent. So don't be surprised if their dinner plates aren't clean if they filled up before hand on gunk!
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