Feeding Young Children

Sorry parents, this post is way past due. I promise to try and stay on top of getting these out more frequently, but at times being a mom, a wife and a child development specialist just takes ALL my time!

Ahh mealtimes, are many of you struggling right now??

I don't know of any parent who hasn't struggled with some aspect of feeding their young child. As a parent myself now, I've felt that personal fear and anxiety over my daughter's feeding, especially because she suffers from a milk protein/soy allergy. I've continually referred back to the six principals for feeding young children that were developed by some of my professors at the University of Idaho who have done a lot of research and training on feeding young children (Janice Fletcher and Laurel Branen).

Here are the six principals for feeding young children:

1. Adults should eat with children
2. Adults choose what is served and how it is served.
3. Children choose how much to eat
4. Children need a variety of foods.
5. Children should serve themselves
6. Adults set the feeding environment.

Some basic things to remember, besides these principals, is that babies are born with internal cues of hunger and satiety, and it's important for us to read these cues and respond accordingly--they know their bodies best. Also "variety increases intake". Children have to be offered a food multiple times; an occupational therapist I work with who does a lot of work with children with feeding challenges told me that it now takes around 18 times of introducing a food to get a child to eat it. Remember that children want to feed themselves--let them. This validates that you respect their independence and their need to learn a new skill. Yes, it's messy, but learning something new often is.

Remember to have fun as a family and enjoy mealtimes. It's a wonderful opportunity for families to come together. There is so much learning that can occur during mealtimes I couldn't write a post long enough to address it all!

For more information about feeding your young child I would encourage you to check out Ellyn Satter’s book, How to Get Your Kid to Eat, But Not Too Much.