“Why haven’t you finished your 2 chapatis? I will play one more video, but you must finish it”. Does this sound familiar? As a parent, do we teach our children to eat as much as their body demands? Or do we decide their portion size and stress about them not finishing their plates.
Soonrita Sahasrabuddhe, an Early Childhood Development Specialist and a Commonwealth Scholar UK, says that it is of vital importance to teach kids to listen to their body. To help them identify hunger cues. Asking simple questions like “Lets call your tummy and ask it if there is space” or just making the kids realise that the food will not taste good if they are full, goes a long way in developing the right food habits.
Switching on their favourite TV show during meal times is a common mistake done by many parents. Though it is easier to feed the children when they are distracted, many times they do not even remember what they ate.
Encouraging the children to talk about the food they are eating, to feel its taste and texture might seem like a mammoth task for parents especially if their kids are picky eaters, but it is an essential holistic development activity. The process of eating is closely related to speech as well as tooth development. Hence neglecting one might adversely affect the other, especially in younger kids.
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