Recently came across an article on developing healthy eating habits in children and somehow I disagreed with this author almost completely.
While setting rules and limits and expecting children to follow them is good, being unrelenting and unsympathetic to your child undermines her development.
Children like us have tastes. They also like or dislike something that they eat. When we rarely eat something we don't like at all, why do we expect our children to eat whatever is offered?
I've always been a bit lax with making my son eat what is good for him. I try my best but if he says no, I let it be. I am worried he will dislike the process of eating and hence have always offered him food he likes even if its so repetitive that i feel ashamed of my culinary skills :D
Another practice I try to do is to ask him if he'd like to eat food (telling him whats for food too) at least 10 minutes before I plan to offer him the food. This prepares him and sometimes makes him look forward to eating when he is hungry.
One fine day, he finished his rice all by himself with no prodding or help, I gave a pat on my back and decided that though my child might not be the healthiest in town (well, what is breast-milk for?), he is a happy child and isn't averse to eating food and many a times enjoys it.
(Photo courtesy - freedigitalphotos.net)
