Feeding

"As children grow older, they enjoy taking care of themselves, which includes self-feeding. During this phase, it is important to offer children foods that they can handle on their own and that help them avoid choking and other hazards. Examples include fresh fruits that have been sliced into pieces, orange or grapefruit sections, peas or potatoes that have been mashed for safety, a cup of yogurt, and whole-grain bread or bagels cut into pieces. Even with careful preparation and training, the learning process can be messy. As a result, parents and other caregivers can help children learn how to feed themselves by providing small utensils that fit a young child’s hand, small cups that will not tip over easily, plates with edges to prevent food from falling off, small servings on a plate, and high chairs, booster seats, or cushions to reach a table. During the toddler years, parents may face a number of problems related to food and nutrition. Possible obstacles include difficulty helping a young child overcome a fear of new foods, or fights over messy habits at the dinner table. Even in the face of problems and confrontations, parents and other caregivers must make sure their preschooler has nutritious choices at every meal. For example, even if a child stubbornly resists eating vegetables, parents should continue to provide them. Before long, the child may change their mind, and develop a taste for foods once abhorred. It is important to remember this is the time to establish or reinforce healthy habits. Nutritionist Ellyn Satter states that feeding is a responsibility that is split between parent and child. In the toddler years and beyond, parents are responsible for what children eat, when they eat, and where they eat, while children are responsible for how much food they eat and whether they eat. The role of a parent or a caregiver in feeding includes selecting and preparing food, providing regular meals and snacks, making mealtimes pleasant, showing children what they must learn about mealtime behavior, and avoiding letting children eat in between meal- or snack-times."