Poor appetite in a child is always the cause of increased anxiety of parents. Do not panic. Initially, you should understand why the baby refuses food. Often, problems with appetite in children are psychological in nature. If the child does not eat, but at the same time feels great and is not capricious, most likely there is no reason for concern. But consult with a pediatrician is still worth it.
Imaginary lack of appetite
Often, the baby eats excellent, gaining weight, but the mother at the same time believes that the child eats very poorly. It is believed that proper nutrition should consist of breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner. If a child misses at least one of these components, it means that he does not eat well. In fact, this is an erroneous opinion that has been formed over many years. It is necessary to eat as much food as the body requires. It is very important that the diet of the child includes all useful trace elements and vitamins. The amount of food consumed per day does not matter.
Each organism is individual. In babies, metabolism occurs differently. One child can feel hunger within two hours after a full feeding, while the other will not want to eat all day. Children who have a slow metabolism can consume much less food at a time. A small amount of food will be enough for them to replenish energy.
The main indicator of normal nutrition is the well-being of the baby. If he is active, does not lag behind in development, happily communicates with peers, you should not worry about poor appetite. Things are more complicated with babies. To determine if the baby has enough food, it is worthwhile to test for wet diapers. To do this, you will have to give up diapers for one day. If the baby eats properly, during the day, the mother will change the diaper at least 15 times. If the diapers remain dry for three hours, there is cause for concern.
Child protests
Even adults often protest through hunger strikes. If the child does not eat anything during the day, perhaps he is unhappy with something. By refusing food, the little man seeks to attract the attention of others: "I will not eat anything until they do what I want." This is one way parents manipulate. There can be many reasons for protest. If the family is used to raising a child too strictly, he can express dissatisfaction by refusing to eat on an intuitive level. The kid will unquestioningly carry out the will of the parents so as not to receive punishment. But problems with appetite are unlikely to be avoided.
If the baby in the family is surrounded by excessive care and attention, there may also be problems with food. The child does not eat if he wants to get more free space. Children in such families often grow up selfish and moody. They get used to the fact that everything happens the way they want. The child does not want to eat soup - does not eat! And if the baby wanted a cake and juice, parents are happy to fulfill his whim.
If the family has a difficult situation, parents constantly curse or even live separately from each other, very little attention is paid to the baby. This is another reason for not eating. For the same reason, the
infant does not eat complementary foods. If mom is nervous, the baby will be restless. He will tend to stay longer with his chest or favorite bottle. The sucking reflex soothes babies. But a cold spoon, even with delicious porridge, can not always calm.
If medical reasons are ruled out, it's worth figuring out why the child is not eating. Why can he protest? Perhaps it makes sense to turn to a psychologist.
The baby is uncomfortable at the table
Often, the baby refuses food only because he is uncomfortable in the kitchen. Perhaps the room is too dark, or the table is very high for the baby. As a result, the child gets tired while eating. The result may be a lack of appetite. Another reason for refusing food may be the behavior of other family members at the table. Many children already in early childhood develop disgust. If the person sitting next to me while drinking champs or slices of food remain on the face, the child may lose the desire to eat.
From early childhood, you need to teach kids to use cutlery. However, this should be done gradually. First of all, the child must learn to use a spoon. Forcing a small family member to eat according to all the rules of etiquette is not worth it. Parents often wonder why a child does not eat meat. The reason is the inability of the baby to hold the fork and knife correctly.
The situation in the kitchen should be conducive to eating. For young children, it is worth purchasing a special highchair in advance, which will be adjustable in height. If a son or daughter wants to sit on an ordinary stool, like adults, do not interfere. So that the baby does not stain clothes, it is worth putting on an apron or bib. And you certainly can’t blame a small family member for getting dirty at dinner. The time will come and the child will eat carefully, in accordance with all the rules of etiquette. In the meantime, the main thing is not to frighten off a good appetite.
The child is entertained while eating.
Many mothers and fathers during a meal amuse a child, read fairy tales to him, and arrange a dinner table with toys. All this is done so that the baby ate the whole portion. This way, of course, helps to feed a small family member. However, it is definitely impossible to call him the best. The problem is that the child is getting used to eating with various entertainments. And if there are no familiar toys and funny stories, there is no appetite. Do not be surprised if the child does not eat in the kindergarten. What if no one in public institutions pays attention to one kid who is used to eating with songs?
The process of eating food for many children seems rather boring. After all, instead of lunch, you can play with toys, explore the world and watch cartoons. Some parents quickly solve the problem. They seat the child to eat in front of the TV. It is absolutely impossible to do this. Firstly, the baby gets used to the amenities and can no longer eat without a favorite attribute. Secondly, scientists have long proved that distracting while eating is harmful. Food is poorly digested, and most healthy ingredients are simply not digested. Often, children who are used to eating in front of the TV, suffer from gastritis, have problems with being overweight.
Eat only at the dining table. Even if the child does not eat a full dinner or breakfast, but only decided to enjoy an apple, it is advisable to do this exclusively in the kitchen. Parents should not set a bad example for their child while dining in front of the TV. It is better to come up with an interesting ritual when the whole family sits at a round table during a meal and discusses important family problems, gives advice. It is both exciting and safe.
Child is afraid
The reason for refusing food may be the baby's fear of choking or experiencing pain. Very often, a child does not eat dairy products, if one day he had to poison himself with yogurt or low-quality ice cream. The kid may not even remember what frightened him, but the unpleasant emotions associated with a particular food product remain for a long time.
It is worth considering why the child does not eat meat. Komarovsky argues that the rejection of such products can also be associated with fear. The kid will be afraid to eat the food that needs to be chewed for a long time. This is not only boiled meat, but also hard vegetables, fish, some types of fruits. Prepare the baby for chewing should be gradual. Initially, ground mashed potatoes and soft fruits, such as a banana, a baked apple, are introduced into the lure. Next, you need to start offering the child food with lumps. The pieces to be chewed should be increased gradually. If the baby is choking, it means that the products still need to be ground to a puree state.
Tasteless food
From an early age, children develop their taste preferences. Some babies do not like dairy products, while others do not tolerate cooked vegetables. The daily diet should be formed based on the needs of a small family member. Many children eat only familiar foods, such as pasta, potatoes, and sausages. Perhaps the child does not eat steamed vegetables, just because he never tried them. To offer new dishes the baby needs to be careful. In order for a child to have an interest in a new product, it is important to present it beautifully. From boiled carrots, you can form a sun on a plate, and crushed potatoes can remotely resemble a cloud.
Do not panic if the child does not eat fruits and vegetables in their usual form. From delicious ingredients you can always make an original salad seasoned with yogurt. Such a dish will surely appeal to a small family member. Fruit salad is beautiful, tasty and healthy!
Family Food Cult
In many families, a cult of food has been formed over several generations . The process of cooking and eating takes most of the time. If a small child has eaten - this is a real event, but if the little one refuses lunch or dinner - this is a disaster. A small person quickly realizes that with the help of food parents can be manipulated. A child does not eat anything just because he wants to achieve what he wants from adults.
To restore the appetite of the child, parents should pay less attention to food as such. If the baby is hungry, he will definitely eat. Sooner or later, a small family member will understand that no one pays attention to his manipulations, and will begin to eat food as expected. Particular attention should be paid to the well-being of the baby. If the child is cheerful, has a good mood, but does not eat, there is no reason for concern.
Parents should not fanatically stick to three meals a day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner should be present only when the child really wants to eat. It’s okay if, during a walk, the baby has a bite of biscuits with compote and refuses to eat borsch. This happens infrequently and does not affect the development of crumbs.
The kid does not know what hunger is
Very often, a child does not eat complementary foods simply because he has never experienced hunger. The kid does not understand that food can bring joy. And all because parents offer him food almost every two hours. The consequence of this may be a complete lack of appetite. The kid eats several tablespoons of soup or porridge, and this is enough for him to wait for the next meal. The child perceives food as a necessity.
All parents need to do is increase the intervals between feedings. It's okay if a child older than 6 months is a little hungry. Thanks to the new feeling, he will be able to understand why food is needed, and he will eat a new portion with great pleasure.
With an older child, you can do more strictly. You can create a situation where there is no food at all in the refrigerator, but only potatoes in the pantry. When the child is finally hungry, he will understand that you need to appreciate the food in the form in which it is. If you have to eat boiled potatoes in the evening without anything, the next day the baby will be happy with a delicious full meal.
Herd instinct
In most cases, parents of children who do not attend kindergarten complain of poor appetite with normal health. Toddlers understand that parents can be manipulated as they please. Once a child crosses the threshold of a preschool, problems with appetite disappear by themselves. The fact is that in a kindergarten with little members of society, no one is ceremonial. If you want - eat, do not want - eat next time. In addition, the herd instinct is triggered in children. Everyone seeks to do what others do. Therefore, in kindergartens, kids eat much better than at home. If it is possible to register a son or daughter in a preschool, this is definitely worth doing. Even if the child does not eat dairy products, what to do will tell a specialist in the garden.
To summarize
The causes of poor appetite can be a huge number. Often, refusing food is psychological in nature. It is worthwhile to understand whether everything is in order in the family, whether the child has problems in communicating with peers.
Things are much more complicated if the child does not eat complementary foods. Komarovsky argues that maternal instinct will help to understand the desires of the child. If the baby behaves vigorously and gains weight well, do not worry. However, consulting a pediatrician will not be superfluous. Despite the fact that the six-month-old age of the baby is considered the generally accepted norm for introducing complementary foods, you can begin to introduce the child to new products later - closer to the year.