What to do if a child does not eat well: top 7 life hacks from a pediatrician

Feeding a small child is another quest. "I don't want that, I won't!" - rarely has a mother not heard such a statement about cooked food. Pediatrician at the Ameda Family Clinic Elena Shvets told what to do if the child does not eat well, and how to feed the reluctant.

1. Mode is the head

“If a baby goes to bed at midnight, he will wake up around 10, he will have breakfast well if at 11. Then a walk. If during it he eats sweetness, then he will want to dine no earlier than three days. Daytime sleep will be from four to six. So he will have dinner at eight or nine in the evening. After such a late dinner, he will not want to have a normal breakfast in the morning, which means that he will demand to eat on a walk and then have a bad lunch. This is how a vicious circle arises.", - explains the pediatrician.

2. Breakfast - 40 minutes after waking up

 If a kindergartner is growing in the family, calculate the time of the rise, taking into account the fact that have breakfast he will want it about 40 minutes after getting up. "Immediately after sleep, offer water slightly acidified with lemon or apple juice: this will trigger the secretion," explains the pediatrician. "But if you try to shove food in, you can get hysterical: the body is not ready to eat."

3. If the child does not eat well, red plates will help.

Young children love to imitate the actions of adults. «Let your child help you set the table, the expert advises. “That way you’ll have a better chance of making him sit down for lunch.” By the way, do not use the spoon that the baby is eating for taking medications: the child may have a negative association with it and an unpleasant taste. The plate should be small: children, at the sight of a large portion, may decide that they cannot cope with it and refuse to eat. And for the little one it is better if the container is red: it stimulates the appetite ".

4. On a walk: more movement and no snacking

Probably, many mothers noticed: if child he will spend most of the walk in a wheelchair, it is good if he eats at least a third of his dinner. If it runs up, it can even knock on the table with a fork, demanding food. True, this happens provided that there were no snacks: a sweet bear or a small packet of juice with pulp can negate all your culinary efforts. “Dessert gives a signal to the gastrointestinal tract that the meal is over, so the production of digestive juices slows down,” explains Elena Shvets. - After a sweet snack, at least three hours must pass for the child to want to eat. So if you give him a bun at 12 o'clock, don't count on his interest in lunch at one o'clock. And in order not to provoke the baby to sweets, do not drive him while shopping. And cultivate patience: if on a walk asks for food, do not follow the lead. Explain that you have to be patient until lunchtime. "

5. Appetite stimulants - for a child who does not eat well

In order to more actively produce digestive juices, which means that there is a desire to eat, Elena Shvets advises to give water acidified with apple or lemon juice, sauerkraut or cucumbers (but not pickled, since they contain vinegar), herring previously soaked in water, sprinkled with lemon and sprinkled with chopped green onions. “It’s going to be a snack to whet your appetite,” says the pediatrician. - Just don't think that after that the child will eat the first, and the second, and the third, and the compote. Until the age of three, a baby needs one hearty meal per meal. For example, it can be thick soup, stew, etc. "

6. Don't be afraid to play at the table

 Children live in the game, so there is nothing to be ashamed of if you fantasize and play while eating. «You can feed a bear, a doll, read, tell something interesting. But in no case do not involve cartoons in this process, otherwise it will be very difficult in the future to wean the child from eating in front of the TV. ", - warns Elena Shvets.

7. Persistence, only persistence

Children are conservatives. Elena Shvets advises not to lose hope and still offer new items: “Not in an obsessive manner. You can put a plate with your child's favorite food, and next to it - a saucer with unfamiliar foods. Do not focus attention on them [1], do not offer. Take it yourself and eat it. Children are very curious, they will definitely want to try what you eat. "

Why does the child eat badly?

In addition to whims, improper organization of the process, reluctance may have purely physiological reasons. So, the child does not eat well:

• due to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (for example, there may be congenital or acquired weakness in the production of digestive [1] body juices);
• due to problems with the oral cavity (for example, stomatitis);
• from a sore throat;
• due to worms.

So if, after working on the mistakes, feeding still remains a torment, contact your pediatrician: he will determine the cause and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

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