Lack of appetite in children is one of the important problems that almost every parent complains about and has difficulty finding a solution for. You can solve this problem, which can last especially from 8-9 months to school age, by choosing the right food at the right time, but most importantly, by approaching your child correctly.
“I just can't get my child to eat”, “He doesn't even care if I don't give him food for hours”… We often hear such complaints, because almost every mother has the same problem: children with poor appetite!
Although the child's desire to eat may change at certain periods depending on the child's growth rate and personal situation. Especially between the ages of 1-2, this is the period when appetite is at its lowest level. In this period, especially food selection and food refusal behaviors are among the frequently encountered problems. If your child eats less on some days and more on others, this is a natural feature of his age, so you do not need to worry about it. Additionally, if your child is used to eating frequently and little, you do not have to worry about "not getting enough nutrients" as the food eaten in this way can have as much nutritional value as the meal eaten in the main meal. However, if the child has had no appetite for a long time and is gaining insufficient weight, you should definitely consult a doctor, as this problem may be caused by intestinal parasites, constipation, anemia or urinary tract infection.
WHY DO CHILDREN LOSE APPETITE?
Anorexia problem in children occurs due to health problems such as teething, anemia and fevers, psychological traumas such as parents' divorce, but mostly as a result of mistakes made by parents regarding nutrition. Because putting pressure on the child to eat, rewarding him/her if he/she eats, and punishing him/her when he/she does not eat, does not help and causes the problem to grow even further.
• Children with poor appetite should first be examined by a pediatrician. Loss of appetite can be caused by iron deficiency, stomach problems, etc. There may be many physiological reasons such as: Apart from this, some problems experienced in the child's inner world may also cause loss of appetite. If a physical or psychological problem is detected, it must be resolved.
• Children who have loss of appetite should be careful to eat small and frequent meals. should be noted. The child should be offered enough food that he can consume. The large amount of food he sees on his plate may further suppress his appetite and discourage him.
• Care should be taken not to consume too much liquid before meals.
• Meal times should be determined and it is imperative that the family eat and chat at the table. Care should be taken.
• Some children may not want to consume some foods. At this point, proper nutrition education to be given to the child is very important. The method of insisting or punishing the child is not appropriate in this regard. This may further alienate the child from that food.
• A child who does not want to drink milk should be told about the benefits of milk, such as its strength. For children who do not want to drink plain milk, foods such as fresh fruit and honey can be added to their milk to make it easier to consume. Having separate milk glasses in different shapes and using different straws can make drinking milk more attractive. It will also be an exemplary behavior for the mother and father to consume milk with the child.
• Similarly, children who do not want to consume yoghurt can consume ayran or tzatziki, which is the diluted version of yoghurt, more easily.
• Those who do not want to eat cheese can consume it more easily. A child can easily consume the cheese in an omelet, pastry or toast, or the cheese can be cut into animal shapes and decorated with various vegetables and presented to the child. A child who does not want to consume white cheese can consume cheddar cheese, braided cheese or string cheese with pleasure.
• What needs to be done here is to make the unwanted food consuming by the child and to present it in a way that appeals to him/her.
• School-age children love to measure how much they've grown from year to year. They want to be successful in school. Seeing them achieve all these things when they eat healthy will make them happy and motivated.
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