FEEDING TODDLERS

12 Biggest Feeding Mistakes Parents Make with Toddlers

We learn from our and other’s mistakes, and for becoming a perfect parent to your child, you need to have patience and tolerance while feeding and dealing with toddlers.

1 # Eating Junk Foods in front of Kids:

Eating junk foods in front of children seems to be a big mistake made by the parents. Generally, parents do not understand the side effects of eating junk foods on their kids’ health. Do you know, that these days, many children are of becoming a target of child obesity?

Eating junk food on regular basis can lead to an increased risk of chronic diseases and childhood obesity. It’s the parents’ responsibility, to keep their toddlers away from junk food. And try to give a healthy balanced diet to their kids. The most simple way to keep toddlers away from junk food is not to bring or eat junk food in front of the kids. Junk Foods is so tempting, that everyone falls for them, in the first place.

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2 # Yelling at a Child while Feeding:

Maximum babies and toddlers are picky eaters, very selective about what they eat, and many of them are slow eater too. Feeding time is something that makes the parents test their patience and create lots of irritation and frustration. Due, to this Mothers lose their patience and start yelling at a child to finish the food fast.

Actually, by yelling at your child, you are spoiling their mood of eating and also building anger inside them. The more you yell, the more they will not listen to you. Therefore, while feeding, try to feed them with love and a smile. Kids will take as much time they want, but slowly parents can change their habits by teaching them good table manners.

3 # Wrong Body Language:

Please mind your body language while feeding your toddler. Toddlers are too smart to identify their parent’s positive and negative body language. They can guess their parent’s mood and nature by the body language. Therefore, while feeding them try to maintain good body language by good body position, gesture, and movement.

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4 # Pressuring a Child to Eat More:

Kids are stubborn in nature and they don’t like to be controlled by anyone. And when, parents create pressure on their toddlers to eat more and more, likely to become picky eater.  Kids hate words like “Beta, please take one more bite” or “Please take the last bite”.

Just leave your child to choose, what he wants to eat, I know kids will only choose junk foods. But there are many ways, we can build their interest in healthier food. Try to make the lunch or dinner time interesting for the kids, and make recipes which they like the most. Pressuring your child towards anything like studies or foods, it’s not a good idea.

5 # Blackmailing a Child to Eat More:

Please don’t forget that you are the mother and father of your child, not a blackmailer. You are actually setting up a wrong example in front of your child. And very soon, he will learn the art of blackmailing and will start using it on you. Therefore, it’s better to totally avoid this and think about some more creative ideas.

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6 # Bribing your Child to Eat Vegetables:

 

Oh! Please, totally no, to bribing part. Parents need to understand that these days, kids are too smart and these old fashion blackmailing and bribing will not work. Eventually, you will end up with blank hands and nothing to offer your child.

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7 # Servicing the Same Food Every Day:

Many mothers, do have time to try new recipes every day and others don’t have an interest in cooking. But in both cases, you are actually playing with your toddler’s health and growth. We are not saying or forcing you to cook a new dish every day, but at least do not give your child stale food (not a portion of fresh food).

Please ask this question to yourself and try to be given the right answer – Can you eat the same food every day, won’t it be boring to eat? If, Yes, then please avoid putting them through this torture.  

8 # Not Stopping your Kid from Snacking All Day:

Kids have this bad habit of taking a few junk foods in every one or two hours, which seriously has a bad impact on their health in the long run. Especially, snack time before lunch and dinner time is again a bad idea. This is the biggest reason behind, many kids not finishing their lunch and dinner. Plus snacking all day will take them closer to child obesity. Therefore, it’s important to control your child with bad food habits before it’s too late.

9 # Complaining about Cleanliness and Neatness:

Some parents are very fussy about neatness and keep nagging about it. Come on, they are just a toddler, they are still learning the art of eating. You can not accept them to eat their lunch or dinner, without making a mess. They will throw some food here and there, they will put their dirty hands on bed sheets and sofas. Maybe they will run, all over the house and dropped the food on the floors.

As a parent, you have to understand that kids will take some years to learn the art of eating at the table. Don’t complain about the neatness, try to teach them good table manners and believe me, very soon you will notice a change in your child’s eating habit.  

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10 # Refusing to Allow a Toddler to Eat by Themselves:  

Running behind your toddler and requesting them to eat one bite, make the mother frustrated. Therefore, it’s a good idea to allow your child to eat the food by themselves. Let them use their hands or spoons to explore the food. Buy some beautiful baby cutlery and serve the food.

11 #Forcing the Child to Finish the Food Fast :

Toddlers are slow eaters and it will take one hour, maybe more to finish the lunch or dinner. Mothers need to have patience and be calm while feeding their toddlers. Feeding Babies and Toddlers is seriously the biggest job in the world and extremely tiring. And in this frustration, parents force their children to finish the food faster.

I agree, many toddlers, keep food at the corner of their mouth and take lots of time to chew the one bite. For, this you can ask them to finish their bite fast, but don’t put many food bits at a time in your child’s mouth, otherwise, it can lead to choking also. Once the toddler, finish the bite, only then put another bite.

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12 # Ignoring Toddler Food Preferences:

It Maybe unintentional, you are ignoring your child’s food preference and choice. Your toddler must have developed good taste buds, due to which they must have loved some foods like Finger Chips, Banana, Pasta, Flavored Yoghurt, Eggs, Cheese, etc. Parents should try to feed the toddlers according to their particular Food Preferences. This will make your toddler eat more and slowly you can introduce more new dishes to him.