- Children imitate what they see but not what they are told. So, parents and people who are responsible for children must pay attention to their own eating habits. Parents should be an example for them by trying various flavors.
- The child should not be insisted on eating. Trying to force-feed stimulates more request to control own live of children and increases obstinate instead of appetite. The thought of eating causes to be remembered negative concepts together such as ‘persistence and control’. In a vicious circle resulting of forced feeding, communication between the child and the family may be impaired and can cause tantrums for children.
- When the dinner time approaches, you can talk about being hungry or tell a story about that. After dinner, you can talk about being full. As a result, more awareness can be gained by telling about feelings of hungry-full.
- The time of dinner and games must be separated from each other. Parents should be careful that children shouldn’t eat while playing or shouldn’t play while eating.
- It shouldn’t be forgotten that meeting the basic physiological needs, such as nutrition of child at the same time the process of psychological satisfaction.
- Etiquettes that are important for life is learned at the dinner table. Things lived and shared around the table creates structures of social behaviors of children.
- As a parent, if you have no appetite or excessive appetite you should consider the importance of genetic factors.
- Each child has different needs about food and different structure, so don’t compare your child with other children.
- The child should be encouraged to eat on his/her own. But while the child is eating, it should not be expected him/her being skillful as much as adults. Thus, parents shouldn’t react negatively in the case of spilling on and around.
- Parents should pay attention that each of the family members should attend dinner, they should make useful conversation and child should have a good time. That’s how you make your kids like meals.
Contributor: Nurgul Akin
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