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One of the biggest challenges that parents can face is trying to get their kids to eat. You could spend the whole afternoon slaving over a delicious dish only for one (or more) of them to refuse to eat it. This is frustrating, particularly as you know they tucked into that exact dish the week before with no problems. It just happens to be that this week they are having an aversion to peas, or don’t want anything that is yellow on their plate. If you are facing this battle with your kids then it can be stressful – you want to make sure your kids are getting enough nutrients and minerals, but you also don’t want to pander to them. Luckily, there are a few different things you can do to try and stop them from being such fussy eaters and get them to eat their dinner. Here are some top ideas that you could try…
Encourage your children to cook with you
One of the best ways to encourage your children to eat is to get them to cook with you. By teaching them recipes and showing them how to cook, they will get involved in all aspects of the process and want to eat the end result. Whether you make a broccoli cheese casserole, a pie or something else, there are endless options your child can help with. Encourage them to pitch in ideas and help where they can. (Make sure you let them know they can’t use items such as the oven or knives when you aren’t there to supervise!)
Arrange their food into fun shapes
Another good way to get your kids to eat their food could be by arranging their food into fun shapes. This could be anything from animals to smiley faces using the ingredients in their dinner. By doing so, it makes it more fun for them to eat and they will be excited to see what shape you bring out for them.
Be patient with them, but don’t pander to it
It is important to be patient with your child when they are not eating. If you shout at them or get cross then they will not want to eat at all. Instead, be patient, ask them why they don’t want to eat and give them plenty of time to eat. Make it clear, however, that if they don’t eat their dinner they don’t get anything else. They might just be being fussy as they want something that they prefer. Show them this isn’t an option and they need to eat the food that is in front of them.
These are just a few ways that you can encourage your kids to eat if they are fussy eaters. By trying these you are sure to find that soon they eat more food and you have more success at meal times. What are some top tricks and tips you use to get your little one to eat?
