The first rule in child nutrition is that parents should decide what food to serve and allow the child to decide the quantity they want to eat. Pressurising them to finish what is on their plate will override their hunger and satiety signals. This leads to overeating which worsens later in life as they wont know when to stop eating and will look for external cues for their fullness signals.
Even a newborn child has the ability to self-terminate their eating. We as parents might be concerned that children are not eating ‘enough’, but children are smart and they know their body. Children are smart to know their portions if left to themselves(without distractions).
If you feel they ate less, remind them that they can come back for the same food after a while if they are hungry. Giving them snacks to fill them up if they eat less is a double whammy.
We want our children to be world leaders , but we don’t even give them freedom to decide their portions.
More on child nutrition and raising healthy children in the upcoming posts. Are you happy with your child’s eating habits? Comment below and let us know.
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