Between likes and dislikes, ever-changing food preferences, capricious appetites, and hunger tantrums, keeping a small child fed can be a daunting task. You want to build healthy relationships and keep your cool during tense eating moments.
Typically, around 18 months, when toddlers enter a developmental stage called pre-action thinking and become more curious about the world, including food, picky eaters start eating, according to registered dietitian and dietary therapist Sarah Almond Bushel. begins.
“They enter a stage of brain development called ‘food neophobia,’ which is a true fear of food,” Bushel, who specializes in infant and child nutrition, told The HuffPost. “It provokes an adrenaline response (fight, flight, freeze) and is thought to be reminiscent of the days of cavemen, when curious little people put nonfood items in their mouths and could accidentally become poisoned. Think poisonous berries.
Most children get out of this stage around the age of 4 or 5. But “fussy eating can be exacerbated and prolong this stage if parents panic and employ all sorts of tricks and tactics to get their kids to eat,” Bushell says. He said.
To constructively address common causes of toddler tantrums, registered dietitian Alyssa Miller has developed five “pocket phrases” for feeding your child.
“My mind goes blank when my kids are hungry or even hungry,” said Miller, the mother of three who runs the @nutrition.for.littles Instagram account. told HuffPost. “It’s really hard to think of what to say in a moment when a toddler is upset. Your mommy is heartbroken and you want to handle the situation in the best possible way, too.”
Miller said she came up with these pocket phrases because they’re easy to remember, help her “distance and calm down in the moment,” and still adhere to her parenting values. .
Here are five phrases that are useful to have on hand.
1. “It’s okay, you don’t have to eat.”
Pull this out when your child refuses to eat anything on their plate.
“Toddlers often shout ‘No! or ‘Yucky!’ when you see something you don’t want to eat,’ said Miller. “So this is a great way to level the playing field and take the stress out of it.”
She says that when you take the pressure off, have To eat certain foods, children may feel more free about their choices and decide to take a bite.
“I still use this with my 7-year-old,” Miller said. It just strengthens the body.”
2. “Looks delicious. It’s not on the menu today, but it might be next week.”
Use this go-to response when making one dish, but your child asks for another.
“I often see kids wanting what they like and what we consider to be ‘kid food,’ like mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, butter noodles and pizza,” Miller says. says Mr.
“They just want to know they’re in control of what’s going on with their bodies.”
– Alyssa Miller, Registered Dietitian
If you already have a meal or snack plan, let your child know that the food they are requesting is not on today’s menu or available immediately.
This “reduces the stress you might feel about not being able to get that food today,” Miller said.
3. “That’s all done. You can try again later.”
Beat this when your child’s mealtime behavior isn’t meeting your expectations.
Sometimes ending a meal is the best thing to do, says Miller. You may feel frustrated and want to scream, but take a breath and calm down.
“To let them know that the actions they’re showing tell them it’s all over teaches them that it’s not just our words that matter, it’s our actions. Effective.
“By calmly letting them know you can try again later, you can take the shame out of your actions, let them know you’re part of the team, and work together to figure out how to make mealtime a success later when emotions don’t work out.” You can.” Expensive. “
4. “Check in on your stomach. We won’t eat again until dinner.”
Did your child only take one bite of their snack at lunch, or barely touched the plate? Try these pocket phrases to help tune in to hunger cues.
“I want to gently remind them to check in with their bodies when they decide they’re all done eating. This gives them time to tell them that they can communicate with them. All you have to do is listen,” Miller said. “Then set expectations and get them involved in planning by following up on when they’re going to eat next. This can be very helpful if you have a consistent meal and snack routine. ”
Eventually, they learn to eat at these designated times, building a hunger during that time.
“Of course, this takes time and often requires gentle reminders!” Mirror added.
5. “Hmm, looks like we’re all out. I’ll keep it on my list.”
Running out of your child’s favorite treats can be frustrating and can even lead to meltdowns. Try responding with this phrase to soften the blow.
“Reminding them that they can ‘put it on their list’ takes the stress out of the situation. You may not understand that it doesn’t mean you don’t,” Miller said. “Their brains are developing, but they often cannot predict what will happen in the future.”
Let your kids know they can stock up on their next grocery trip.
“Teaching them that those foods aren’t going to go away forever will help end their tantrums and help them learn that more food is coming, rather than food being scarce,” says Miller. Told.
Make These Phrases Work for Your Family
The key is to use these pocket phrases consistently and keep the promises you make to your kids about food. is needed. Likewise, if you say you’re adding pizza to your menu next week, you should actually serve pizza. This will build trust in your children’s access to food and in your relationship, says Miller.
Once you’ve established trust, these phrases can help calm your child down. But of course it doesn’t work 100%. Even adults have hunger meltdowns from time to time.
“These phrases help reset expectations and communicate how mealtimes and food work at home.”
– mirror
“It’s normal and fine to be disappointed when your favorite food isn’t available and you were looking forward to it,” Miller said. My husband ate the planned leftovers and I wasn’t very happy.Often the big emotions are caused by small children’s unfulfilled expectations. and help communicate mealtimes and how food works at home.
Miller’s five phrases cover common situations, but they don’t address every problem that arises. So you can even come up with your own pocket-his phrases for recurring problems in the household.
“Once you’ve identified consistent triggers for your child’s meltdown at the table, it’s time to find pocket phrases they can memorize and repeat,” said Miller.