It is common for children to experience picky eating at some stage while they are learning the complex skill of eating.
Here are some practical tips that you can try at home to help your child with their eating:
- Get the right seating Postural stability helps children to be able to have the control that they need to complete the difficult task of eating. When they are sitting at the table they should have adequate support for their feet, back and head (depending on their age and level of motor skills). Check that your child’s chair or highchair provides enough support for them to sit comfortably in a supported position while they are at the table.
- Involve your child in food preparation Involving children in food preparation is a great way to get them to interact with food even if they are not ready to eat those foods yet. See if you can keep this a fun and social experience for them without any pressure to eat the food as you are cooking together.
- Keep a set routine for meals Research shows that children who have set mealtimes in the day eat a higher volume of food than those that snack all day. Try to avoid having the kitchen ‘open’ all day long and see if you can space out meals and snacks by around 1.5-2 hours.
- Promote family meals Although it can be difficult to coordinate eating as a family with young children, research shows that this is beneficial for picky eaters as they can see the other members of the family eating a range of foods and learn through modelling. Try and keep mealtimes fun and focus on being together as a family more than just focussing on getting your child to eat their food, as this can become too much pressure for them.
These few simple strategies can lead to a big change to your child’s ability to engage in mealtimes and try more new foods.
If you feel that your child has more specific feeding issues, it may be best to have an individualised feeding assessment from a speech pathologist or occupational therapist to address these.
