A child’s many reasons for not eating and how to make mealtime more enjoyable.

Between the ages of 1 and 4, children have a decreased need for caloric intake. Simply stated, they many not be hungry as often as you would like to see.

If you have ever been on a diet and had to keep a food journal, one of the biggest surprises is that we eat more than we think we eat. Constant snacking is usually enough to knock the hunger out for lunch or dinner. Little fist size snacks can mean a full tummy pretty quickly.

In the child’s first year, mealtime is closely monitored to the hour. You can easily know when the last meal was taken. After a child begins to eat solid food at about a year, snacks start to come into play. Toddlers are constantly offered food. All day long. Serving sizes are the size of the tiny fist they make. One-quarter of a banana, three bites of yogurt, etc. all seem to satisfy. To a grown adult, that hardly seems like enough to sustain a mouse. To a toddler, that particular food combination can sustain them for three or four hours.

It is at this crucial stage of development that parents start to panic and set the stage for a childhood wrought with food issues. Jr. learns that if he eats you are happy and life is pretty status quo. If he doesn’t eat, he receives a lot more attention because you are worried. He learns this pattern. Think not? Babies are masters at patterns. Peek a boo&Pat a Cake, etc. all teach him patterns and repetition. Sometimes, because of family dynamics, a child will seek attention any way he can get it. Food is one of the best attention seekers there are.

If you have a finicky picky eater who will not join in the family meal, try the following:

No snacks three hours before dinner.

The child must sit at the table with the family. He may not go off on his own while the family eats. He will not be allowed to sulk at the table either. But on the flip side, do not pay extra attention. Speak to him as you normally would. But do not focus on the food. If he doesn’t eat, the next meal will not be far behind. He will not starve.

No snacks after dinner is finished, if he is hungry.

Are you sitting at the table as a family, or over the sink while your husband is on the couch and the kids are at their table? Are family meals rushed and unpleasant? Sit as a family at the dinner table as often as possible. Make dinner a celebration.

Do not let mealtimes become a battle. Do not force food on your child. If it is the only control they have, you may find actual eating disorders come into play later on. If you believe your adolescent child has eating disorders, seek help immediately. If you suffer from eating disorders, seek medical attention immediately. This impacts the entire family unit.