P:02 How to Deal with a Fussy Toddler
By: Berrytree India
Tags: Babies And Young Children, Baby Products, Baby, Baby Care, Babies Health

Does your toddler hate mealtimes? Are mealtimes synonymous with a small workout? This means you have a picky eater on your hands! Don’t worry, if your toddler is a fussy eater, it is a solvable problem. Remember, as the parent, it is your job to decide what food and drinks are served at meals and snacks. Whatever meal you make for your family, serve that to your toddler consistently at one time. This sets a routine and some expectations for your toddler. If you combine discipline with some of the tips we have for you, your toddler will have a healthier relationship with your food.

How to deal with a fussy toddler?

1. Familiarize your kids with their food.

With a picky eater, dinner may feel like a war zone you’d rather avoid. The food on their plate does not have to go into their mouth. There are no perfect foods for picky eater children. To get them to eat healthy foods, if they push a vegetable around, takes it apart with their fingertips, or sniffs it, then at least he gets more acquainted with their look and sound. In a recent study, when kindergarteners spent hands-on time cooking and cooking with fruits and vegetables in their classrooms, growing a garden, and seeing food-related themes in books and games they were more likely to select one of these food groups from a snack buffet.

2. Stick to the rotation rule.

To help your little angel get into the habit of eating something new every day, don’t give the same food for two days in a row. To get them to eat tricky foods, try telling them, “You had carrots at lunch yesterday. You can have cauliflower or peas today, and you can have carrots again tomorrow if you want to.” This helps to give your toddler freedom of choice and assert their independence.

3. Start very small.

Many parents are providing a portion that’s way too high for their kids. Usually, we start with such tiny parts that they could be pleasantly surprised. At home, try a single pea, a part of a noodle, or a cheese crumb. Encourage your child and say something like, “This is easy you could be done in a second”. After your child eats it, give them a portion of the food they want. Then, at subsequent meals, raise the amount of new food and phase out the follow-up food. You might also try to incorporate a portion of food that they enjoy, along with new food, to make it less daunting to try something new.

5. Stick with it.

You’ve probably heard it before: a kid wants to try something 10 to 15 times before they like it. Although that sounds overwhelming to a lot of parents who have a hard time having their kids to try something once, it’s getting easier. Research shows that once you get the ball rolling to taste new foods, it takes on average just six attempts for children to accept them. A lot of parents don’t want to introduce new food at lunch or dinner because it can ruin the entire family’s meal. It’s necessary to overcome that fear.

6. Scale back on snacks and drinks.

Most doctors, when we look at these records, we see that a lot of kids who resist new foods eat snack foods or drink all day long, which limits their hunger for foods at meals. Once families cut back to three meals and one to three snacks at relatively consistent times. Kids are more receptive to trying something new because they’re truly hungry. The same occurs for drinks if your toddler fills up on milk, water and juice it could lead them to feel full and contribute to their rejecting food at mealtimes.

Tips and tricks to feed your little one:

Now that you have some strategies to tackle tough mealtimes, here are a few hacks for feeding fussy eaters.

1. Be a role model.

Your child will eat better and be more willing to try new and healthy foods for kids if they see others at the table eating the same food. Family members, including older brothers and sisters, are key role models for healthy eating.

2. Promote happy meals.

Your child will eat better if they enjoy a meal. Children are more likely to have a happy meal if you don’t force them to eat.

3. Eliminate the distractions.

Meals and snacks should be served away from distractions such as a TV or a computer. Mealtime is for eating and interacting with your family. Don’t have toys on your child’s table or tray. Leave toys, books, television and music to play before or after meals.

4. Listen to your child.

Trust that your child knows when they are hungry and when they are full.

5. Don’t pressure, praise, reward, trick or punish.

Children who want to be independent are not going to eat well if they feel the pressure. Allow your child to decide whether or not to eat the food offered. Trust that they are going to eat if they’re hungry. Berrytree’s blog mentions that when kids get rewarded for something so small, they end up enjoying it more.

6. Try it again.

Instead of looking for recipes for fussy eaters, continue offering new foods even though your child has already said no to them. Give these foods on several days, at various meals and in different recipes. It can take as many as 10 times for a child to try a meal and like it. Don’t give it up!

7. Limit your mealtime.

Enable your child to eat a meal for 30 minutes. Put the food away after this time and let your child leave the table. At the next scheduled meal or snack time, give food again. Extending your meal for too long will not make your child more likely to eat and will not build a safe and happy eating atmosphere.

Conclusion

It’s never too late to start enjoying a better and more enjoyable meal. If you’re not the only one who prepares food for your little one, make sure that all caregivers follow the same tips to get the best results. This includes dads, nannies, siblings and grandparents!