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#41
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Need advice on child's feeding
In alt.support.diet Patricia Heil wrote:
What does your childcare manual say? I knew it! I just KNEW there had to be a childcare manual! I called up the maternity ward and complained and complained that they hadn't given it to me but they kept pretending it didn't exist. Spiteful bitches. Wendy (I'm joking, people.) |
#42
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Need advice on child's feeding
Sophie wrote:
And some children have a favorite meal time. My nephew (21 months) eats the most at breakfast - he just picks up at lunch and dinner. My daughter (5) and youngest son (22 months) love dinner, whereas my other son (almost 4) eats the most at lunchtime so I don't worry about him not eating as much as his brother and sister at dinnertime. Really? You actually have kids whose big meal is dinner? I thought those didn't exist ;-) Mine tend to want to eat the most either at lunchtime or in mid-afternoon. Best wishes, Ericka |
#43
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Need advice on child's feeding
In article ,
Ignoramus13806 wrote: My son is 2.5. He oftentimes refuses to eat much during regular meals. This is frustrating because we cook for him etc. Then he might get something -- like a piece of cheese or some such thing -- in between. I now think that it is unhealthy and that if he wants to eat during a meal, that's great. If he does not, he gets nothing until the next one. Would that be a reasonable policy. No. Toddlers have small stomachs that need refilling more often. Also, if my 2.5yo is anything to go by, toddlers are not good at identifying their own hunger signals. I have found that crabbiness often vanishes when DS's tummy is filled up again. Anyway, here is a list of tips that have worked for me so far (from a previous post): * Have meals together as a family. I don't expect DS to eat alone, nor do we watch TV while eating * Have a pleasant atmosphere at mealtimes (I find that saying grace promotes a mood of thankfulness and peacefulness) * Offer the child the same food that everybody else is eating (unless it involves chillies!), mashed or cut up if necessary * Pay no attention to likes and dislikes at this age -- they change every week. Just offer them what you're eating. If they don't want it, they don't eat it. * Put very small amounts of a few foods on his plate -- lots of food is confusing and off-putting * Replace whatever he has eaten after a little while * Fulfil any requests the child makes for more food * Don't hang over the child while he eats (have you ever had someone stare at you while you eat? It's a real appetite-killer). Eat and talk as you would do at a table of adults. * Encourage independent eating. When the child seems ready/eager to use a spoon or fork, let him. * Offer only water to drink, except on special occasions * Have meals and snacks at about the same time each day * Never make a big deal out of what he eats or doesn't eat -- trust his judgement * Expect mess and be prepared for it -- use a "splat mat" if you have carpet, put a bib on the child, roll his sleeves up, have a washcloth handy for wiping face/hands afterward, etc * We don't usually have dessert, and therefore don't use bribery We never give him anything with sugar and no junk food. He does not know what junk food is at this point. I would be very surprised if he has never eaten any sugar -- or do you mean sucrose? It's laudable to keep children away from junk food, but I personally don't sweat over the occasional cake or chip. People can get a bit tooo intense about foods at times. -- Chookie -- Sydney, Australia (Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply) "Jeez; if only those Ancient Greek storytellers had known about the astonishing creature that is the *Usenet hydra*: you cut off one head, and *a stupider one* grows back..." -- MJ, cam.misc |
#44
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Need advice on child's feeding
toto wrote: On 9 Oct 2003 16:57:35 GMT, enigma wrote: my 3 year old eats whenever he's hungry, which does mean he may not be hungry when we eat dinner... he helps me cook by sampling things Remember also that adults in our society eat dinner quite late by children's standards. It used to be quite common to feed the children before dad got home from work when they were small because they could not wait until 6 or 7 pm for their food. That would still be common in my house if my husband were getting home at 6 or 7 p.m. We normally eat around 5 p.m., and that's when I'd feed the kids regardless of when he got home. Clisby |
#45
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Need advice on child's feeding
Really? You actually have kids whose big meal is dinner? I thought those didn't exist ;-) Mine tend to want to eat the most either at lunchtime or in mid-afternoon. Best wishes, Ericka Yep, Lewis naps during lunch (12 till 2) so he has a morning and afternoon snack, and dinner. Charlotte might have toast before school (before 8 am), lunch is 12:30, afternoon snack, and dinner. They've just both always liked dinner. Thankfully they have the same tastes too so it's just Patrick who's a pain at dinner (what to cook for him). |
#46
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Need advice on child's feeding
Remember also that adults in our society eat dinner quite late by children's standards. It used to be quite common to feed the children before dad got home from work when they were small because they could not wait until 6 or 7 pm for their food. That would still be common in my house if my husband were getting home at 6 or 7 p.m. We normally eat around 5 p.m., and that's when I'd feed the kids regardless of when he got home. Clisby My kids eats dinner between 5 and 5:30 pm. My husband (when he's not deployed) gets home between 6 and 7 pm. 2 of my kids go to bed at 7 pm so I wouldn't wait for dad to get home either. I eat after my oldest goes to bed at 8pm. |
#47
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Need advice on child's feeding
toto wrote:
Kids often surprise you with what they like. We had one 3 year old in daycare who really liked uncooked brocoli. That was my child *until* she realized that no one else liked it. Then, suddenly she *hated* broccoli. That was the one time I really considered homeschooling... Jeanne |
#48
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Need advice on child's feeding
Ignoramus13806 wrote in
: In article , Wendy wrote: In misc.kids Ignoramus13806 wrote: What I *do* make them do is join us and stay at the table until they're excused. We use family meals to catch up and visit and to practice manners. I struggle quite a lot with trying to get my small sons to sit still in restaurants and one way we practice that is to really stress that the food aspect of the meal is just one element. what about snacks between meals? That was kind of the center of my question. To me, no snacks means eating during meals. (whether it is a good strategy or not is an open question, but there is no doubt that he *will* eat during meals if no snacks are provided in between) well, with a toddler that is not a given. at 3, mine still doesn't eat all that much. he may eat half a waffle at breakfast, no snack at preschool (he refuses to eat there), no lunch, maybe a quarter of an apple around 3 & no dinner... *or* he may eat 3 pancakes & a couple slices of bacon for breakfast, a doughnut on the way to school (if daddy stops for coffee), 3/4 of a can of noodle soup for lunch, half an apple & 2 Oreos for snack, 6 oz. of yogurt while making dinner, a cup of broccoli, 3 oz. of meat & 1/4 cup of rice, and ice cream before bed. it just depends. i don't care that it's so erratic since he's a good weight (50%) & overall he has a balanced diet. at 2.5, your child can help you cook, even if most of the 'helping' is just watching you. at that age they can pour premeasured ingredients, mix, rinse rice & shred greens. my 3 year old can measure dry ingredients, cut apples with an apple slicer-corer, butter toast or veggies, & knead, roll & cut biscuits (his favorite next to making bread in the bread machine). i let him pour macaroni into the pot & stir, but anything near the stove is very closely supervised. while we are cooking we talk about food & how growing bodies need good food, not junky stuff. the conversation about sugar & empty calories was pretty funny... i don't expect he understands most of what i tell him, but it does seem to sink in. he's not always clamoring for cookies or candy anymore. he'll choose apple over Oreo most of the time lee |
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