In my clinic, some parents often come to ask why their children are always thin, not growing in size and meat. After asking for a detailed medical history, I found out that the baby was thin and picky. When we measured the height and weight of the children, we found that most of them were in the 25th percentile of height and weight, and they belonged to the short and thin category. Parents need to know that children who are picky eaters are generally shorter and thinner. Even if they grow chubby, the meat is soft and flabby. The eating habits of your childhood can affect your eating habits for the rest of your life, so it is important to change this bad habit as soon as possible.
Here I have some advice for parents. Parents must not force their children to eat food they don’t like, don’t blame children who are partial eaters, and don’t lose their temper with them. Otherwise, the child will become disgusted and develop the habit of cheating. Correcting bad eating habits is a very difficult task, so mothers should not be in a hurry, but let their children slowly develop good eating habits.
How to do it?
1. You can entertain your child’s friends of the same age at mealtime
Even if the children do not like the food, if they eat with children of the same age, the children will eat with great pleasure. Because eating with children of the same age will create a competitive mentality in children, it is also easy to change the child’s partiality habits.
2. Make food with your child
Try to make food with your child! If you think a knife and fire will put your child in danger, make sushi, sandwiches, and other foods. Making food with your child will become an opportunity for your child to enjoy eating or become interested in food.
3. Try to make the food look good
Even if it’s just a bowl of rice, make it into a variety of shapes, especially some cute animal-like. For children who are seriously paranoid, it’s a good idea to break up the food and wrap it in rice so that the child can’t see the original form! In this way, the children will eat as a fun thing.
4. Make it the size that you can eat in one bite
Children like to eat food that can be eaten in one bite, and if it is too big, they will throw it away after a few bites. So make the food look cute or appropriate size, more can be favored by children.
5. Try to serve food in bowls with cute patterns
If you use the same bowl to serve food every day, it will not only affect your child’s appetite, but also make him lose interest in eating. If you use colorful bowls or bowls painted with your child’s favorite patterns, you can stimulate your child’s curiosity and make him or her enjoy eating more.
6. Mom tries to eat first
Before the child picks up the chopsticks, the mother first makes the appearance that the food smells good, or tries to take a bite first and praises the food as delicious. This can also drive the child’s desire to eat.
7. Use sweet food to induce eating
Add sweets to the food you don’t like to eat! If you add fruits such as bananas or foods such as yogurt, groundnuts and pumpkin lights, children will also eat foods they don’t normally eat because of their sweet taste.
8.Make children feel hungry
Children who are partial to eating are characterized by small amounts and more often, so it is not easy to feel hungry, then it is necessary to make them feel hungry. If the child is playing around the table without eating, the table can be removed. Because when they feel hungry, even the food they don’t like will be eaten with relish.
9. Don’t pressure your child at mealtime
Don’t ask your children how they are doing at school, how they are doing in school, and don’t reprimand them at mealtime. Create a good and pleasant atmosphere for the children to eat.
10.Eating should be regular
It is very important for children to observe a regular eating schedule of three meals a day. It is best to start this eating habit at an early age. Regular meals together as a family will be more effective!
In addition, if you find that your child is thin and paranoid, you must adjust your child’s eating habits before it is too late, and regularly monitor the height and weight growth values so that they do not affect your child’s normal growth and development.