Picky Eater, Strategy Needed In Facing Children ‘Picky Eater’
Most parents, especially mothers may have experienced difficult times in which their children would not eat or just want to eat certain foods. Feeding difficulties in toddlers or so-called picky eater are common results when children begin to turn consume the liquid to solid foods.
According to Dr. Lukito Vimaladewi SP.A, child specialist of Tirtayu Healing Center, picky eater is pure disorders that commonly occur in children. Such conditions usually occur in children aged 6 months to less than 6 years.
To deal with a picky eater child, the most important thing to do especially the parents is the approach in the way of providing food to children.
“It must be recognized by parents. Parents need to know why his son picky eater and would not eat solid food,” he said.
A mother, said Vimaladewi, must understand that once children aged over one year, milk is no longer the main source of calories. So, that the children had to switch to eating solid foods.
According to him, when children begin to learn to eat solid food, the child would often spit out or throw food. At times like this the parents will usually think that the child does not like. “But such a reaction does not mean the child does not like. Children are starting to learn the perception, feel a new kind of consistency that eats,” he said.
In the face of a child is a picky eater who needed the patience of parents in providing children eat. Do not target or force your child to spend a meal if the child no longer wants to eat. Parents should be done gradually, and do the introduction of a sense of the same foods in children.
Never make the child confused in recognizing what he eats. For example, when children eat breakfast flavored fruit, lunch meat flavor, then vegetables. No one tastes first. Do it for a week in a row like that. Once the child is able to receive a sense that, just try to introduce a sense of the others, “he explained.
Vimaladewi said that picky eater is not immediately addressed early on, and then the child will be difficult to eat in the future. So it is not likely the child will be malnourished. Many factors that cause children have picky eater, for example: the form of food is not appealing, monotone (no variation), and the atmosphere at home is not conducive and less parental attention (busy).
Psychological factors have an important role in children picky eater. Therefore, it takes team work within the whole family from grandparents, parents and caregivers, with one purpose so that children are not picky eater.
“When we teach it while playing and in a state of happy, he regarded it as a fun pattern. Or the children see their parents eating their own part, it will make it easier for the child-eating solid food,” he said.
Vimaladewi remind, what children eat should be the same as what is in the eating by the family. For example, if a child told to eat vegetables, but his parents never pointed out to eat vegetables, eat the child will never want to eat vegetables, and vice versa.
