The food fights stop when you finally learn the lesson.
Ever feel like you’re living like Bill Murray on Groundhog Day? You make food, your little one refuses it. You make new food and still they refuse.
You’ve wasted food, your time, and you know if your little one doesn’t eat you’ll be dealing with tantrums and all sorts of hanger-driven behaviour.
It’s no wonder you do what you do; trying anything to get your little one to eat.
But that’s where you go astray…. thinking that it’s your job to fill your little one up.
Yes, you need to make sure your little one has access to all sorts of different food.
You are in charge of making sure they have consistent, frequent time to eat throughout the day.
And yes, it’s definitely within your job description to give your little one ample opportunity and time to eat the food you offer. But that is where your role ends.
Is it the hardest thing in the world to trust your little to eat enough food they need to grow and meet all their needs? Of course, because you also know that they’d rather eat boogers than ground beef and that your dog eats more veggies than your little one. It’s in your nature as a mother to worry.
BUT forcing your little one to eat something will NOT help them become good eaters in the long run, and may even make them start refusing more food sooner than later.
Perpetual Groundhog Day, picky-eater style! Sounds lovely doesn’t it?
If you’re wanting to avoid the power struggle you need to stop the pressure. Stop pushing food. Listen to your little one instead, even when they eat next to nothing, even when you make them their favourite and refuse to eat it. You may know what your child needs but they know their body, their appetite.
Stick around, we’ve got a lot more to chat about.
~L