During the transition to solid food, my mother wrote me a challenging message. At six months, her little boy began to eat very well. For 7 months, she was not eating enough or refusing to eat, to the point where she fell off the weight charts. He felt trapped trying to force calories into him while knowing that experts recommend not forcing children to eat.
He tried to remove any obstacles he found along the way. For example, her little boy was so eager to see what she ate that she did not even eat her own food. So he stopped feeding her during family meals. She was confused as soon as she sat him on his high chair; he would make a face for his innocence (even the one he loved). She tried to distract him with toys, but nothing worked. She was trying to take a spoon, and she was trying to stop him. "Then he showed me a close, kissed me on the forehead, and sometimes he started crying again," she wrote. “This goes on for an hour or two. And mostly, it ends up with an unfinished food bowl. ”
For both of them, mealtimes have become a sad, binding affair.
In the picture we drew, I saw that food has little or no contact with it unknowingly. Children suffer when they feel disconnected, research shows us and is successful when they feel connected. Well, her little one even asked her about her closeness and her sweet kiss. So we talked about how to build more connections with more mealtimes.
I know that this dear mother is not alone in this struggle. If your teenager does not eat, here are eight tips to get you back on track:
1. Feed the baby while your whole family is eating.
People are human, and that feeling really comes out at mealtimes. Food will make your children feel more comfortable when part of the family routine - even if they do not eat as much as you hope.
2. Bring the child even to the table.
If possible, get a high chair that allows your child to sit at the table, with their plate on the table instead of a tray. There is this tangible design or one that slides directly on the table. Many high chairs sit children away from everyone else. But they want to do what everyone else does at dinner, to feel part of the family. (I liked choosing the second option. It's straightforward to clean and fix to last for years. While I was still in bed, my daughter felt independent by going up to it alone, but I could also hold on - I mean, I tied it in. She's 4 1/2 years old, and we still use it. )
3. Give the child food for the whole family.
Purees are kind of boring, aren’t they? 'It's great for kids who are starting a solid diet to eat real food: good for their motor control skills, their palate, their enjoyment of food, their nutrition, and more. Just give them small pieces. (No grapes are perfect, as these are smooth and have the right size and compact shape.)
4. Let the child feed himself. Taking a spoon,
the child says, “I'm ready to go!” (More signs of readiness to grow from Kelly Mom.) Let her use her hands. Yes, it's weird! Containers with lips and long-sleeved fabrics help contain dirt and large wood under a high chair. (We caught one of those great chair builders from my husband’s office — excellent.)
Do not look at everything the child is biting. Put the food on his plate and tell him what each item is. (See above for "baby paid for food" or "baby paid for breastfeeding" for more details. Man, I can't tell you how good it is to stop trying to put a spoon in your baby's mouth every time you eat.) Then, from time to time, talk to him, smile, and enjoy your meal.
5. Yes, the child is very interested in what is in your bowl.
This will help you! You can feed your baby with a bite from your fork. You might say, "One bite to me, one bite to you." At this point, the child wants to do what you are doing. I remember my child wanted food on MY plate, even if he had the same food on his plate! Sometimes I would just put some food on my plate instead of his food and give him my own.
6. Sign language can be a great help in these years.
If you teach your child the signs of words like “milk,” “more,” “all done,” “all gone,” etc., he will be able to communicate with you easily. What a relief! This is a good time to start. Here is a video of a few signs (start 30 seconds). I explain the teaching method - the way researchers use it - in my book, Zero to Five: 70 Essential Parenting Tips Based on Science.
7. Keep breastfeeding. Solid foods can come in handy.
It is healthy for six-month-olds to get most of the nutritious food from breast milk, and it gradually shifts to a solid diet only for the next 6-12 months. Think of this as a baby's time to try new flavors and solid food formations - not like the time to completely change breast milk.
8. Make sure you get enough vegetables/fiber.
Babies may cry and do not want to eat if they feel full or bloated. I used to make these green smoothies for my daughter - an easy way to get vegetables. Actually, we drink those, but now you choose which fruits and vegetables. 🙂
Whatever plan you come up with, try it for a whole week. And please let me know what happened! Let your little one fix it, and check how it goes.
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