Children Playing Games Enjoy Eating

Medicana Sivas Hospital Specialist Psychologist Begüm Özkaya said, “Before sitting at the table, play games with your child. Cheering up thanks to the game, the child starts to enjoy eating more. " said.

Medicana Sivas Hospital Psychologist, Family and Marriage Counseling and Sexual Counselor Begüm Özkaya gave information about the duties of mothers and fathers to help children acquire eating habits.

Özkaya stated that a healthy and balanced diet is sufficient for the development of children, not eating too much, and said, “For the development of children, not eating too much, but a healthy and balanced diet is sufficient. Starting from their infancy, children realize that they can control their families by eating or not. By making things difficult during mealtimes, they can draw families' attention to themselves, and they can torture the mother or father they are angry with. " said.

"Do not force the child to eat"

Psychologist Özkaya stated that putting pressure on children to eat, rewarding them if they do not eat, or punishing them when they do not eat does not work. Although the child's desire to eat changes in certain periods depending on the growth rate and personal situation, it is the period when the appetite is at the lowest level, especially between the ages of 8-9. It is known that food selection and food refusal behaviors are a common problem during this period. If the child eats less on some days and more on some days, it is a natural feature of this age, so it is not necessary to focus on it. However, if the child is used to eating frequently and less, they should not be worried about 'not eating too much' as ​​the food eaten in this way may have as much nutritional value as the main meal. However, if you are gaining insufficient weight and lack of appetite for a long time, it is necessary to consult a doctor because this problem may be caused by intestinal parasites, constipation, teething, anemia or urinary tract infection. At the same time, the problem of anorexia in children usually occurs as a result of psychological traumas such as the divorce of the parents, but mostly as a result of the mistakes made by the parents in nutrition. Because putting pressure on the child to eat does not work, and rewarding him if he does not eat, on the contrary, punishing him when he does not eat, and causes the problem to grow. "He used the expressions.

"Set meal times according to your children"

Saying that children do not have an appetite when they are overly tired and sleepy, Özkaya said, “Since children do not have an appetite when they are extremely tired and sleepy, it is necessary to arrange their meal times accordingly. Play with your child before sitting down to the table. Cheer up thanks to the game, the child starts to enjoy more eating. Do not give your child sugary foods and drinks such as sugar, chocolate, cake and fruit juice between meals. " said.

What mothers and fathers should do for their children with poor appetite “First of all, your child does not need to eat too much for a healthy development, a balanced diet will be sufficient. Children imitate what they see, not what is told. Therefore, people responsible for the child's care, such as parents and caregivers, should pay attention to their own nutritional behavior. Do not compare your child with others, each body's needs and growth rate are different. Do not compare your child with others in any respect. A hungry child wants to eat eventually, let him realize that he is hungry. Stay away from questions like 'Would you eat this, would you like this too, maybe you would like this'. Food is eaten at the table, do not walk around room by plate. Your child should learn by seeing that eating is a social event by sitting on a high chair or chair at mealtime and attending the family table. Feed the food in a quiet environment where you will not be distracted by a television, and take care to pass the time well. You can cheer up this process with a song or a fairy tale. Give your child enough time to eat; however, this period should not exceed half an hour. Offer only meals at meals, do not allow them to snack between meals, this junk, which quickly fills the already small stomachs, will fill up with foods and the feeling of hunger will disappear. Children can use a fork spoon after the age of 1,5 years, so after that age, put the spoon in his hand and wait for him to eat instead of giving him his mouth to support himself eating. Keep the portions small, as filling the plate to the top can be unattractive for the appearance. ”