Every young mother goes through it. She has a fussy eater on her hands. Let’s face it – mothers are wired to feed their children. It’s our life blood, it’s the prime purpose of our life, so when when our child refuses to eat, it’s agonizing.
Whenever I consulted the pediatrician as I was raising my child, I always got a response that the child will eat when hungry, so don’t get too perturbed. That is the most distressing answer one can ever get – because remember…a mother is wired to feed! So, like all mothers I looked high and low for ways to get nourishment into my child. Here are some things that worked for me – maybe they will for you too!
- I once had the opportunity to listen to a talk by an architect who explained that children will eat what they see, so we should probably cut off the legs of our dining tables to bring it down to their level. Now, that’s quite impossible to do, so I tried something else. I placed a bowl of fruit on a small table near the door of my son’s room. What happened as a result was that he would pick up an apple or whatever else there was every time he walked past that table. Even today (at age 32) he will pick fruit over a biscuit if given the choice! I can’t thank the good architect enough!
- Which kid likes to eat vegetables? It’s a rare one – but give them a veggie roll or with veggie noodles, they’re happy to eat it. Shred vegetables, boil and puree and then add to your child’s favourite food. Make grilled sandwiches, veggie parathas, even a home cooked pizza and load it with “invisible veggies.”
- Make nutritious food elements part of the daily routine. Grind nuts, seeds and healthful spices into an all-spice mix and add a spoonful to regular food every day – such as in lentils, soup or pasta. It’s difficult to remember to eat each of these things separately, but if done this way, it ensures a regular nutritional intake without any fuss.
- Invite your child’s friends and host “Theme Food” parties. It could be a bi-monthly affair. Each mom could cook up a theme related healthful dish, and kids could gather and have a great time. For instance, if your pick a theme like “Potato Show,” moms could make yummy potato dishes. You could then have kids share their platters, and maybe tell the group a little about the dish that their mom has made.
- Involve your child in food preparation. Nothing delights a child more than helping out in the kitchen. They can help with child-safe activities such as shelling peas, rolling out rotis or making atta dough balls, washing veggies and fruits etc. Older children can use child safe knives and help peel and chop veggies under adult supervision. This again provides a golden opportunity to teach valuable safety lessons to your child. By way of example teach your child to wash his/her hands before handling food, stay away from electrical gadgets and hot pots and pans. Teach them also how to respond in case of an accident. In case of a burn, they should immediately put their hand under the tap or dip in cold water. In case of a cut, the affected area should be compressed to stop bleeding.
Food for thought!
