As a mother, I know very well that it is annoying when our child has no appetite or loses his appetite. In fact, there were families I saw that could even cause table terror. However, as an expert, I can also say that do not lower your sails. There is a solution to loss of appetite. First of all, what you need to do is to understand whether the problem is caused by the child's feeding behavior or whether it has a biological origin. Therefore, you should first consult a pediatrician and find out the cause and origin of loss of appetite. The second thing you need to do is to consult a nutrition and diet specialist. If everything is normal and the only reason is the child's eating behavior and habits, I can give you some suggestions;
- First of all, make sure that meal times are regular. Doesn't he eat? Don't insist. Wait 2 hours and serve again.
- Never try to make him eat by forcefully opening his mouth, taking his attention away from the food (for example, while watching television or playing games on the computer), or walking around after him. Sit at the table with him. Have your plate in front of you. Remember the need to socialize while eating. Let him eat with his hands. Give him the fork and spoon. It may spill, but okay. If you do not want the environment to get dirty, spread a cover and take precautions.
- In order for the child to develop correct eating habits, he/she must be aware and aware of what he/she eats. For these reasons, do not mix foods together and give them as a slurry. Children want to see food in a way that they can recognize. They may find some foods disgusting based on their appearance and refuse to try them. Therefore, serve the foods without mixing them with each other.
- Try to encourage foods they do not like instead of insisting on them. For example, let's say he doesn't like cauliflower. First of all, never give up cooking. When you put cauliflower on the table, take it on your plate before offering it to him and use expressions that will make him think that it is very enjoyable while consuming it; Like "hmmm, it's delicious, I loved it...".
- Try to present a food he says he doesn't like in a different form. For example, if he says he does not want to eat meat, then offer it in a different way, such as meat/minced meat pie or minced meat pasta.
- To whet the appetite before the main meal. Do not leave or give sugary or liquid foods (biscuits, fruit juices, etc.) within reach.
- Although foods such as freshly squeezed fruit juice and milk are healthy; Drinking these foods frequently can suppress your appetite. For this reason, it is more useful to avoid drinks one hour before the meal and to drink only after the meal, not during the meal. Remember that; A child with a small stomach capacity can feel full with a glass of milk.
- Children may enjoy drinking different beverages from the bottle, and this is a behavior that can develop as imitation of adults. Forcing him to drink from a cup or glass always reduces his fluid intake.
- Make sure that the breaks between meals are not too short, this way you give him the opportunity to get hungry.
- Adjust the food portions according to the child's wishes. For example, look at your own hand and look at his. Believe me, his stomach is equally smaller than yours. Therefore, do not ignore stomach capacity when adjusting portions.
- Do not insist on the child eating when he is extremely tired, sleepless, sick or unhappy (for example, due to a school failure).
- For the child. It is very important to ensure a feeling of trust and security. Avoid blaming, humiliating and scolding on a food-related issue.
- Make sure that your attitude is parallel with that of your spouse. For example, if one of you did not allow him/her to drink anything before the meal, the other should have a supportive attitude.
- When there is a problem between you and your spouse, do not bring the discussion to the family table. Since your tension will affect his mood, it may also affect his appetite. It may cause him to avoid the table or blame himself.
- The dining table is not the place to apply discipline.
- Do not overreact to food residues, crumbs, spilled or broken items.
- Don't give up cooking just because he doesn't like any food. If this food is a meal that you and your spouse love, the more your child sees you consuming it, the more he will tend to consume this meal or food in later ages.
Motherhood is tiring, but at the same time enjoyable and wonderful. experience.
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