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Getting Kids to Eat
Tips from a Nutritionist
By Alison Gamble
If you are worried about a picky eater getting enough "good stuff" to eat, set a good example. Serve a food enough, and let your child see you eating and enjoying the food. Eventually, curiosity will get the better of him, and he'll try it.
You can't force your child to eat, but you can provide structured mealtimes and healthful foods. And you can trust your child to know how to regulate his eating habits.
There is no question that eating is a complicated event. It's an awesome responsibility: As a parent, you can shape your child's independence and confidence through mealtime. That is why it is so important to understand that how you interact at meals, and what your relationship to food is, can prevent or promote many problems. Food brings security and is a supporter of joy, sorrow, and many other emotions. Think about all the emotional ties food has for you. Are they positive? How did your family during your childhood spend mealtimes? Put yourself in your child's shoes and stop thinking, "This is payback for what my parents did to me."
If you are truly worried about your child's nutrition, check with your pediatrician. But bear in mind: food is nourishing. So is love. As a parent you can strengthen that delicate line by supplying a healthy balance of both.