Every mother has struggled with their kids being picky about what they eat. This is a problem faced by mothers since the start of time but as time passes, mothers worldwide have found innovative ideas to deal with this problem.
Let them know their food!
Allow your child to interact with their fruits vegetables by touching and analysing them. This allows the child to know what they are consuming. Tell your child exciting things about their food which make them want to eat it.
Start doing this when the child can clutch on to things as it also helps develop a child’s motor and cognitive skills.
Allow them to eat on their own!
While it might be a messy idea, it is guaranteed that the child will be much more independent with their eating habits. At the start, help the child with their spoons but gradually they will learn to manage their own utensils, therefore, raising an independent child. But do not ignore your child while they eat on their own. Be around them, interact with them and make them excited about eating.
Answer questions!
When a child asks you about what you are cooking or what you plan on making for a meal, tell them about it. Answer their questions about food and be welcoming about it.
Always let a child know why you are making them eat something.
Never portray food in a bad light!
There might be food items that are not usually consumed in your household and you might not be a big fan of it but never display it in a bad light in front of a child. It raises a child who is biased towards food and you do not want that.
Give your child options!
Always give your child options regarding what they would want for a meal. The options need not be a choice between healthy and unhealthy foods but between two different healthy foods with different taste palates.
Be fair about what they eat!
Let there be a balance in their healthy and unhealthy food choices. Do not stop them from eating unhealthy items if they eat healthy enough to balance it out.
Introduce them to textures and tastes!
From an early age, introduce your child to various textures and tastes. This will help them get accustomed to variety and make them open to variety as well.
Picky eaters are not born but are raised. Raise your toddler to not be the picky eater as that will make your life easy as well as the child’s life in adapting to different kinds of food.