When you think you can’t stand the “picky eater” in your family anymore, take a deep breath and relax, remembering that this is a normal part of your baby’s development and will be resolved sooner or later. If you are worried, you may make the problem worse, especially if you want your baby to eat more than he or she needs. If left to his own devices, your baby will eat just enough to meet his own caloric needs, so you should always respect his decision to eat enough on his own. You need to resist the urge to try to persuade him to eat more. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Don’t forget that while it’s your responsibility to provide your baby with nutritious food, allow him to decide for himself how much to eat. When is your baby full? Obviously, your baby is telling you that he is full if he does the following when eating a certain food, a certain dish or a certain meal: 1) keeps his mouth closed when given food; 2) says “no”; 3) turns his head away from what you are giving him; 4) pushes away the spoon, bowl, plate, etc. that holds the food; 5) keeps the food in his mouth and does not swallow it; 6) does not swallow it; 7) does not swallow it. 6. keep spitting out the food; 7. poke out of the child’s dining chair or try to climb out; 8. cry, shout or scream; 9. vomit or make vomit. What is the best way to deal with picky eaters? Most two- and three-year-olds go through a period of eating very few foods. This is a normal part of your baby’s development and is called “neophobia,” or fear of new foods. Your baby needs time to learn that these foods are safe to eat and delicious, and he will learn this by watching you and others eat them. Eventually he will expand the kinds of foods he eats, but it may take some children longer than others to do this. To help your baby, and to calm your own heart, consider the following suggestions: 1. Eat with your baby as often as possible. Babies learn to eat foods that are unfamiliar to them by watching and imitating their parents and other children as they eat. 2, praise the food you are eating “very good”. Parents are the most persuasive role models of behavior, and if you can make positive comments about food, your baby will be more willing to try it. 3. Arrange for your baby to eat with other children as often as possible, such as inviting other children in the neighborhood to come over for a snack. Your baby will probably eat better when he or she is with children his or her own age. 4. Develop a regular daily meal routine, including three meals a day and two or three extra meals scheduled according to your baby’s daytime nap time, and try to stick to it. Babies like regularity so they can anticipate what they are going to do next. If he’s overly hungry, he won’t eat well, and it can be hard to get him to eat when he’s too tired to want to eat. Don’t expect your baby to eat a big meal before going to bed, just let him have a small snack or a drink and leave the normal meal until he wakes up. 5. Prepare two dishes for your baby at mealtime: a salty appetizer and then a sweet dish. Babies always eat a taste will feel bored, he is willing to try new flavors. Two courses not only give your baby two chances to consume the calories and nutrients he needs, but it also means a wider variety of foods at each meal. 6. Limit meal times to about 20 to 30 minutes, while understanding that your baby will not eat more after that time. It is best not to delay a meal and try to persuade your baby to eat more, but to wait until the next extra meal or mealtime to prepare some nutritious food for your baby. If you want to eat, most children should finish the food in front of them in the first 20 minutes. 7. Praise your baby when he eats well, because two- and three-year-old babies can be especially energetic about compliments. If you only pay attention to him when he doesn’t eat, he may not eat simply to get attention. Babies love attention, even if it’s negative. If he’s not eating well, don’t say anything, just take away what he hasn’t eaten and pretend he’s full. 8. Keep the portions of food small. Large portions of food can overwhelm the baby and even lose his appetite. If the baby can finish the small portion of food, praise him and then give him some more. 9. Give your baby as much food as possible that he can grab with his hands and allow him to make a mess while eating. Two or three year olds like to grab things to eat with their own hands. 10.Eat in a quiet and relaxing environment without distracting things like TV, games and toys. Your baby can only focus on one thing at a time, so those things will make it more difficult for him to concentrate on eating. 11. Be aware that if you go out to eat, your baby may not want to try anything because all the meals may be unfamiliar to him. You can bring some food that he will eat for him to pad out until his next meal or extra meal. 12. Let your older baby go with you to shop for food and prepare meals, such as setting the table. This will encourage your baby to have a positive attitude toward food and mealtime. 13. Let your baby do simple cooking and food preparation with you if you have the time and patience. Once your baby has processed and been exposed to new foods, he will be less stressed about eating them, and he will become more familiar with them and may be more willing to try them. 14. Change the place to eat. For example, a picnic outdoors. Not only will this make eating fun for your baby, but it will also give him a chance to see other people enjoying their meal. What are some of the misconceptions I should avoid? 1. Don’t rush your baby to eat. Some babies are slow eaters and rushing him to eat quickly will spoil his appetite. 2. Don’t push your baby to eat more when he has already shown you that he is full. Never insist that he eat all the food on his plate. 3. Don’t take away a dish that your baby refuses to eat and replace it with another completely different dish. If you do this, he will soon take advantage of it. In the long run, it’s best to always offer your baby the same meals as everyone else in the family, while accepting the fact that your baby will favor certain foods. Also, try to offer him a food at every meal that you are sure he will eat. 4. Don’t treat that sweet treat as a reward for finishing the first course. This way you will make the sweets seem more tempting than the appetizer. 5, do not give your baby too much milk, freshly squeezed juice or fruit juice within an hour before eating. Drinking too much water can spoil your baby’s appetite. If he is thirsty, just give him some water. Try to eliminate bottles so that everything your baby has to drink, including milk, can only be drunk from a small cup or large-mouth cup. 6, do not give your baby a snack when you are about to eat or have just finished eating. If your baby is not full from the main meal, don’t give him a snack soon after the meal either. But you can easily do so simply because you are afraid that your baby will be hungry. However, it is best to have a set meal routine and wait until the next addition or main meal to give him something to eat. 7, don’t assume that your baby will never eat something again just because he refuses to eat it. Taste will change over time. Some babies need you to give it to them more than 10 times before they have the confidence to try a certain food! What should I do if I’m still worried? If you still have doubts, make a list of all the foods and drinks your baby has eaten in a week and check them again. And with some variety in each food group, then you should be relieved that the problem is not as bad as you think. If you are still worried that your baby is not eating enough or that he is underweight, consult your doctor, who may be able to put your mind at ease about everything. In case your baby is not eating due to some physical reason, the doctor will be able to find out.