Don’t Force Your Child To Empty The Plate
As parents, we know how important healthy nutrition is for our children. But that doesn’t mean you should force your child to keep eating their plate empty.
In this post we will give you a few tips. With this you can feed your child sufficiently and healthily. And you don’t have to worry anymore.
Because of course we are all worried. You are not alone in this. Images of malnourished children may come to mind. Or you can never get comments from third parties saying things like: “What a thin child!”, “Does the child eat well?”, “The child looks kind of sickly.”
Sure, you can’t prevent yourself from feeling bad. Or that you too suddenly think: “That’s right, my child is really too thin.”
It is very important that you start to react differently to the comments. You shouldn’t let it affect you so much.
Otherwise it can lead to you getting into it. And that can go so far that you finally want to force your child to always empty his plate .
So if you are experiencing these issues, the first thing you should do is:
Determine if your child actually has an eating disorder. Or whether they have some other illness. If that is the case, you will of course have to see a doctor with him.
So you first have to be sure that your child is healthy enough. Then you can start thinking about the right and healthy diet for your offspring.
But one thing is clear: it is by no means about tormenting your child at the table so that they can empty their plate. But of course it should eat well.
First steps: how to get your child to eat well
- First, you should find out what your child’s favorite dishes are. Because when these are on the table, your offspring will definitely want to eat more.
- One of the reasons your child won’t empty their plate could be: They may eat all sorts of sweets before main meals. And then of course it is no longer that hungry. So try to pay attention to what the child eats in between.
- Try to present the meals nicely. Because this way your son or daughter will feel more inclined to eat everything. Maybe the little one can still only manage a few spoons. But at least that’s something! Don’t force your child to finish the plate when they’re no longer hungry.
- Make sure there are no distractions while you eat. That said, there should be no toys around. The television shouldn’t be on either. Because if the child is too distracted, they will have less appetite.
- Don’t be too strict with the table rules. This means that you don’t sit the child at the table and say from the start: “You have to empty your plate!” Because that usually only leads to your offspring becoming intolerable. And sometimes it’s better to give him some leeway as well.
Why is it that my child is not eating well?
It is also very important that you pay attention to how your child’s mood is. Because often the cause of a lack of appetite can be that your little one is stressed, disappointed or sad.
Cheer it up or comfort it. And then spoil it with its favorite food!
Perhaps when you read the title of this article you thought: “But my child has to eat enough and healthy!” And you are right there. Nevertheless, you can already see: The solution is not to force your child to empty his plate.
Rather, you should try to find out what the reasons for your child’s behavior are. Why doesn’t it eat well? Why does it always leave something?
What else can you do to make the plate empty?
- Try to motivate the child when it comes to eating. You can say things like, “Mom made something delicious for you today! There’s a lot of love in there. And it makes you strong and big. “
- Another good strategy is to ask your child how much they want on their plate. You might ask: “Are you very hungry?”, “Would you like to tell me how much you want?”, “Do you want anything or do you prefer not to like something in particular?” It is always better to motivate rather than dictate something to the little ones.
- Eat with your child. Because when the family sits down to eat together at the table, they can watch how everyone else eats their plate. So your child can learn by watching.
- Praise your child when they have finished their plate. That motivates them and makes them happy.
- Of course, there will be times when, for some reason, your child may not want to eat as much. Then you should try to show understanding. Help him understand that eating is not a compulsion. Rather, it should be enjoyment.
- Children should not be forced to empty their plates. It’s just a matter of time and patience before you eat well on your own.
- Also, make sure that your child has enough exercise every day. Because that doesn’t just help burn energy and keep the body healthy. In addition, children learn new skills by practicing a sport regularly. And last but not least, they bring home really hunger afterwards. And that in turn is a good prerequisite for them to eat their plate empty. Or even want another serving!
Plate empty? It’s not that important at all!
In all of this, keep in mind that the “bad” food problem will get better over time and as your child grows.
Even if it has a tantrum about it, it will pass. Especially when you lovingly support him as a mother.
If your child shows too much appetite instead of too little, you should of course exercise a certain amount of control. Otherwise your child runs the risk of becoming overweight.
But as long as he eats appropriate portions for his age, it is not a problem if he does not eat everything every now and then.
