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Eat, Please
The Challenge of Feeding Your Toddler
By Alison Gamble
There are going to be many challenges with your toddler, and food definitely will be a big one. However, try to remember your child has never tasted the foods being served to her. Here are some of my own recommendations:
- Draw on your own experiences. I know I wasn't very adventurous as a child or teenager with foods. I only wanted peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch from junior high through high school. As an adult, I am now more eager to try new things.
- Be sensitive to your child's needs. There is absolutely no reason a child should feel guilty because he doesn't like a certain foods, or if he doesn't finish the food on his plate. t is completely up to the parent to create a positive relationship between the child and food.
- Food is a necessity of life. It is not to be used as a reward, or taken away as a punishment.
I cannot stress enough the importance of creating a positive relationship with food. The amount of young girls with eating disorders is unbelievable. Although not the norm, boys are susceptible too. While we can blame the fashion magazines and the rest of the media for imposing perfect body images on us, the relationship with food begins at home. As a parent, you control that relationship 100 percent from the get go. Please do all you can to prevent a negative relationship between your child and food.
