Common Parenting Mistakes in Child Nutrition
Child malnutrition or picky eating can occur from 6 months to 4 years of age, and parents at this age are exposed to picky eating, which culminates in the child is three years old.
This period is short if the parents know how to behave, and if they go in the wrong way, it becomes a long-term problem for the family. Do not feel that the cause of malnutrition of the child is the behavior of the parents from the birth of the child, which we will refer to the common problems of parents in child nutrition.
Humans instinctively understand hunger and satiety, so if we do not have a routine breastfeeding when the baby is born and dedicate breastfeeding to whenever the baby cries, the baby may be crying for a variety of other reasons, we make the child no longer understand hunger and satiety and think that from now on, whatever happens, he should be breastfed, either by the bottle or by the mother.
This process continues in the same way until 6 months and the time of starting complementary foods and causes many problems, so not having a routine for breastfeeding will lead to malnutrition.
In connection with maintaining a food routine, if the intervals are not fixed and the distance between breastfeeding and complementary foods is short, this will naturally cause the child not to be hungry during complementary foods and to refuse to eat. In the face of this incident, parents label their child as malnourished and try to force-feed the child with wrong methods such as entertaining him with toys and dolls!
Another common problem is that some parents say that a two- or three-year-old does not eat and only drinks milk. This is because the child is conditioned and see that when the mother does not eat, she is worried. She comfortably feeds him, henceforth the baby replaces the food with milk.
Another common problem is that some parents say that a two- or three-year-old does not eat and only drinks milk. This is because the child is conditioned and see that when the mother does not eat, she is worried. She comfortably feeds him, henceforth the baby replaces the food with milk.
Another issue is that unfortunately, sometimes it is still emphasized to start the complementary food with porridge, while the best thing to do is to introduce the child to fruits and vegetables from the age of 6 months, which makes the child know different tastes and textures. Do not use foods containing sugar, which is the main cause of interest in snacks in the future.
The next common mistake is to encourage the child to eat with sentences such as “If you eat, let you see a cartoon, or if you eat, I will give you a toy.” He refuses to eat and the worried parents decide to use cartoons and toys to feed him! This behavior becomes a habit and is repeated and the refusals from the child become more than before.
Determining the time and place of eating
Parents should set the time and place for children to eat, not the other way around. Parents determine what kind of food the child eats, and the child can only determine the amount and volume of food consumed, and parents must respect this. Sometimes a child eats enough and needs his body, but parents mistakenly expect to eat more. For example, three or four tablespoons of rice and stew is enough for a two-year-old, or half a toast is enough for a one-year-old or older.
Important Note: Eating time is usually a quarter and should not take an hour or more. If the child refuses to eat at this time for various reasons, it is better for the parents to gradually gather the table and food to say the next meal or snack, or say, “My daughter/son, you look full or you look full, or the meal time is over.”
The child should be aware of his own satiety and hunger. Every meal should be in its place and small things should not happen.
Note: Some parents say that their child eats only three models of food, or is not interested in the food and fruit he eats before.
From the time a baby is supplemented, parents can offer a variety of foods to the child at their own discretion and on a set diet. If a child is not interested in a particular food or fruit, it does not mean that parents can remove it from the food circle. So, for example, if the child does not eat eggs, once every two or three days, we should put eggs next to the foods he eats, but we should not insist or encourage him to eat eggs. But we can eat eggs in front of the child so that he can see and model. If we remove that food and keep telling the child and the child that he does not like this food or fruit, we will make him never try this food.
Do not use negative sentences when the child eats Like” wow why don’t you eat anything? Wow, what do you like? Eat these two spoons too and … “saying and repeating these sentences is stressful for the child. Use positive sentences like “good, you liked carrots and ate them, my son. good, you ate this amount of food.”
Do not let the opinions and words of others about your child’s appearance (obesity or thinness) affect you because the only measure and expression of the child’s growth health is the child’s growth chart and consider genetics and activity and happiness.
If a child two years of age or older does not want to eat, we can help them prepare food or ask them for help or ask for advice on choosing tableware or choosing a fruit model to make a smoothie.
It is easier for children under the age of two to improve their eating behavior while watching cartoons because of their independence and self-esteem In this situation, parents should try to separate the time between eating and watching TV. After watching TV and before eating, distract the child with other activities and gradually get ready to eat, so that the child does not realize that the reason for turning off the TV is when it is time to eat. Parents can also make their meal time more fun by playing beautiful and soft music or reading books that the child likes, especially books that have pictures of food, fruits and vegetables.