Do not pressure your eater hard – it does not work

(CNN) – "No, do not eat!" your terrible 2 year old said, repelling green beans. Now, notice, it's a vegetable that was force-fed with happiness on a regular basis. The peaches, the pears and another vegetable once so deliciously followed, thrown into the pile "Are you crazy, I do not eat that?"

What's going on? And more importantly, what do you, the worried parent, do to make sure your child gets the nutrients he needs to grow? If you're like many moms, dads, and grandparents, you'll probably start cuddling, nagging, begging, or even bribing – a dessert.

Relax! According to a recent study published in the journal Appetite, your toddler will develop very well, even if the difficult behavior persists

"Parental pressure has no effect, good or bad, on the baby." Difficult diet or weight in this population. said the study's author, Dr. Julie Lumeng, a Michigan pediatrician who is a research professor at the Center for Growth and Human Development at the University of Michigan. [19659002] Most research on "selective or selective" on older children or predominantly Caucasian age mixes, and followed only for short periods of time Lumeng followed a group of 244 children 2 and 3 years of age, ethnically diverse for one year, comparing parental pressure tactics to healthy child growth and reduction of difficult eating behavior.

"Nothing says, according to this study If you put pressure on your garden variety, a picky eater that they will actually grow or act better, "said Melanie Potock, pediatric nutrition specialist, author of" Adventures in Veggieland, "which do not have participated in the study

. again that parents should not put pressure on their difficult child but they continue to do so, "added Ellyn Satter, author of" Mine Child: Feeding Love and Common Sense ", also not involved in this So, let's hope that studies like this can help pound the message at home. "

Why do parents resort to muscular food tactics? According to Potock," What a man eats child is so tightly wrapped up in the sense of responsibility and well-being of parents, "he explains." In my experience, it is often because they are afraid of the nutritional health of For other parents, she says, this may be about food waste, "especially parents who are in financial trouble."

"And some parents are putting pressure on kids to eat because it's like that that they've been Potock added.

The results of parental instability, said Dr. Tanya Altmann, Los Angeles pediatrician, co-author of "What to Feed Your Baby," are not surprising to those who regularly work Parents are too focused on every bite and put pressure on their kids, who usually turn around like toddlers then refuse, just like toilet training, "says Altmann, says Satter. During their first year, the novelty of sitting at the table and eating adult food keeps them eager and eager, until suddenly "negative magic happens."

"Somewhat It seems cognitive and now the familiar food is unknown and they do not want to eat it, "said Satter. "If parents can get out of it, when they become preschoolers, they become less skeptical about unknown foods."

Satter created a model of "distribution of responsibilities "for infant feeding issues. She recommends that parents cook and serve the food they need themselves, give the example by eating healthily, and add one or two foods to the menu that their child normally eats.

"But do not pay attention to them. willingly accepts, "warns Satter. "Do not force them to eat, but let your child choose what to eat and what to eat."

Beth Saltz, Los Angeles chef and dietician, co-author of What to Feed Your Baby, agrees that parents should stop being the "food police". She suggests making meals fun and low pressure.

"Sit down with your family no matter what your family will look like," said Saltz. "Turn off screens, cook I like to encourage positive strategies like these to feed toddlers rather than negative strategies like pressure."

"Children are better at eating when they receive their undivided parents. , the addition of the rule also applies for serving meals or going to the restaurant. "Even if you're preparing a meal, it's always important to sit together and be careful of each other when you eat it."

Potock also works with children who have intense sensory problems that make them difficult diet. check with their pediatrician if they feel that there could be a medical problem behind the behavior of their child.

But she tells all her clients to stimulate their child's curiosity about new foods.

"I recommend putting a tablespoon, especially the food that the rest of the family eats for lunch, on the child's plate," Potock said. . "But do not force them to eat, just have it in the child's plate to make friends with this food."

She also suggests talking about how food is grown, such as green beans and Jacques and beans. Better yet, Potock says, if possible grow vegetables at home, and have your child pick them and cook them. Take your child regularly to the farmers' market to see and experience new temptations. She also suggests playing with food, such as using beans in a tic-tac-toe game

"But do not say eat your beans," Potock warned. "You can make the kid eat the beans, but they will not learn to like the beans, but they will not develop that curiosity by themselves."

"Babies learn the beans taste preferences from a very young age, so they offer a variety of tastes, textures and even temperatures of food, "said Potock

" Choose a healthy first food such as puree avocado, organic whole yogurt, mashed green vegetables, "said Altmann. "Let your baby bend down and open his mouth when he wants to eat Do not force him to feed or play airplane games – it does not help."

The introduction of a wide variety of young people, adds Potock, will help parents survive the difficult era of the eaters and put their child in place for later success.

"As the child goes through the difficult phase of eating difficult and emerges from the other side," said Potock, "they have been exposed and are friends a lot of different foods and are ready to try again. "

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