•
They’re not hungry. Shortly after the first birthday a toddler’s
weight gain suddenly slows down. And by 18 to 24 months,
many toddlers become “grazing animals,” preferring many
snacks a day to regular meals.
•
Mealtime means more than food. To your toddler,
a meal is as
much play, or a science experiment, as it is a time to eat.
•
They hate green. It’s smart to like red and avoid green. Red
signals what’s ripe, sweet, and safe to eat. Green foods are often
bitter or unripe. (Even with lollipops—toddlers
pick red over
green almost every time!)
•
“Temperamental” taste buds. Some kids are just born
supersensitive. They hate rough clothes,
loud noises, and strong
flavors.
Tools to Handle Picky Eaters
Smart parents avoid battles they can’t win. So
rather than trying to force
your child to eat something he doesn’t want, sidestep the conflict by
hiding it in the food he likes or finding a win-win compromise.
Connect with Respect.
Narrate your child’s strong desire not to
eat so she knows you understand.
Catch Others Being Good.
Point
out what kids have on their
plates when you visit restaurants. Invite older kids to your house to eat a
meal. Toddlers love imitating others, especially slightly older kids.
Win-Win Compromise.
Compete to see who can chomp down the
“little trees” (broccoli) the fastest. Offer choices (“Should
I give you
three peas or two?”) and suggest a win-win compromise (“Eat a green
bean and you can have another French fry. Eat two more green beans
and you can have all five of these French fries!”).
If your toddler drives a
hard bargain and eats only one tiny nibble of the bean, you should still
give her a piece of the French fry because that’s
definitely a baby step in
the right direction.
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