It is very normal for toddlers to be picky eaters which usually fade away as they grow older and older. But certain children tend to show this picky eating behaviour even after they grow old enough. Parents of such kids face a lot of trouble as forcing the child to eat every time does not seem an ideal solution but is important for their growth. Most people relate picky eating to discipline and just feel lost when it comes to feeding their children. But to ensure you, picky eating has nothing to do with discipline at least most of the time and is mostly related to brain sensors. Some children are naturally more sensitive to taste, smell and texture which makes them picky eaters. Parents’ activities such as punishing, bribing or rewarding their children’s eating behaviours can also lead to picky behaviour in children.
Whatever may be the reason for your child being a picky eater, the thing that matters is how to fix this problem. It should not feel like a struggle every time you wish to get some nutrients inside your child’s body. There are a few simple things that a parent can try to help the picky eater in your family have a balanced diet without causing any brawl.
Why do children seem to lean more towards some food but not others?
Children often tend to like some food over others and whenever parents try to feed them something they don’t want to eat, the dinner table starts turning into a battlefield. Most parents try using force to feed their children or adopt other harsh methods to fix this issue. But the thing you need to understand is that this situation can be more complicated for your child than it is for you. Children who have not developed their sensory processing completely cannot relate their brain to the smell, taste and texture of the food and simply try to reject it. They might prefer eating certain food over others as they might like their taste or smell better, unaware of the health benefits. So as a parent, it is important that you understand your children before forcing them into a particular eating habit.
Tips to get your children to eat healthy and nutritional food
In their growing year, children are highly likely to become picky eaters as they develop an understanding of senses, especially taste and smell. Although not every child is a picky eater just in case your child is, here are a few things you can try to help the situation.
- Do not force your child to eat every time you feel like he or she should eat. Learn to respect the wishes of your child to eat or not to eat at least once in a while.
- Never ever bribe the children into eating or promise any rewards to them. Also, don’t go all the way to cook something different for them when they refuse to eat the regular food as it will only encourage their picky eating habit.
- Set a proper schedule for every meal, whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner or even a simple snack.
- When feeding something your children have never tasted before, it can be overwhelming for them as well and they might require some time to adjust to that taste or smell. So try feeding such food items in smaller amounts at first and then gradually increase the amount.
- You need to make eating fun for your child if he/ she is a picky eater. Cutting simple food in different shapes and arranging food of different colours on their plate can encourage children to try something new.
How IIAHP can help children with picky eating habits?
As a parent, there are only specific things you can do and try to help your children with their picky eating habits. However, the experts at IIAHP work with children’s sense of smell, taste and use ora-facial techniques, that help the children build and develop sensory connections in their brains, so they understand the sense of taste and smell in a better manner. They know the right ways to induce curiosity in your child when it comes to trying new food. For more information, you can get in touch with our consultants who will explain everything to you in detail.
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