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Toddler Eating Habbits

Encouraging your toddler to eat is often a power struggle. Toddlers are easily distracted and have trouble sitting still during meal time. They are just beginning to explore their world and exercise their independence in little ways. They may not have much freedom yet, but eating is one of the few things that they can control. Letting your toddler choose his food isnt such a bad idea. It may even help both of you if your let him pick from healthy food choices.

Toddlers are stubborn. It is in their nature to contradict whatever you ask them to do. Threatening them with punishment wont work either. It is best to use a diplomatic approach when feeding your child. You can still get him to eat his vegetables but do it discreetly. Toddlers may be stubborn but this doesnt mean they cant be outwitted. Parents just need to be a little creative in order to get their child to eat. With a little patience, you can get your toddler to finish that bowl of veggies.

A lot of parents would agree that their toddlers arent eating enough.  A toddler would eat one decent meal, and would pick on his other meals for the rest of the day. Nonetheless, they never seem to go hungry or run out of energy. Refusing to give them snacks wont work either. Unfortunately, toddlers wont eat something unless they want to. A bowl of green peas is still a bowl of green peas, no matter how you serve it.

Amazingly, picky eaters manage to meet their energy requirements even with poor eating habits. Toddlers dont need as much energy as adults do. The reason why most parents feel that their toddlers arent eating enough is that they overestimate the portions that their kids should be eating. An average toddler only needs around 1,300 calories in a day. Of course, this would still depend on the childs activities.

Serving smaller-sized portions may get your child to eat more during meal time. An ideal measure of toddler-size portions would be a quarter of whatever you would consume. A whole slice of bread is too much for a toddler. Half-sized portions of fresh fruit, bread and eggs are more manageable for your toddler. Instead of giving a whole cup of yogurt, scoop out 1/3 into a separate container and keep the rest for later. Encourage him to eat at least one to two tablespoons of vegetables.

Never bribe your child with candy or small toys, nor should you threaten him with punishment. Yummy dessert is something to look forward to after meal time. However, this tactic would only work temporarily. Offering dessert as a reward for eating vegetables makes it seem like sweet treats are more valuable than the actual meal.

Let your child sit with you during meal time. This practice has been shown to impart proper eating habits on children. Your toddler will be encouraged to eat healthier food if he also sees you doing the same. Theres nothing wrong with emphasizing the benefits of eating vegetables. Just remember to keep it subtle. Showing excessive approval with every bite of veggies might lead your toddler to dislike them even more.

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Colby is the loving parent of two kids and loves writing about situations parents are usually faced with. Check out his JoJo Designs Ladybug Parade Collections or his Glenna Jean Finley 4 pc Sets and this Trend Lab Max 4 piece Crib Bedding Set .