Tuesday 3 March 2015

Tips on getting a fussy toddler to eat

Michael started as a great eater when he was 6 months old. Then he reached a year old and for some reason he would leave his food. At times we would get really worried about him because he would eat just little bits or snacks and never seemed to eat enough.

We now have it sorted and he eats a lot better so if you have a toddler who is leaving their plates untouched then here are some tips that worked for me.

1. If your toddler is leaving their food, do not make a big fuss about it. I found if I was around Michael trying to get him to eat, he was more likely to turn away. I now place his food on his little table and step away, it may take some time but he started to go towards his food and starting eating.

2. Praise when they do eat. I probably over do this but it works for Michael. When he eats his first bite, I immediately go into "good boy" and sometimes clapping. He is so pleased he is getting praised he then goes onto eating more.

3. I find if michael has his favourite food on the plate, he will go for that and leave the rest. So I would do him lunch, he would go straight onto the fruit and always leave the sandwich. It's fantastic he loves fruit, but we do like him to eat a varied diet otherwise if left to the choice all he would eat is fruit! So we now try to give him his lunch in stages, the bits he is less likely to eat first and then his favourite bits.

4. Change it up. Michael gets bored if he is fed the same food so with exception of one or two of his favourite snacks we try to give him different foods every day.

5. Eat with your child. We don't have the room for a dining table, so Michael has a little table and chair. But we still eat at the same time. If your child sees you eating then they are more likely to eat as well.

By following these Michael now eats a lot more than he used to, and they have really helped. If you have found any tips and tricks that have helped you to get your child eating, then please comment below.

H.

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