Heading into the New Year, we often find ourselves (re)committing to lifestyle choices that we feel improve our lives. After a potentially indulgent holiday season, this usually means more intentionality in our eating habits. Raising a child who is a joy to feed can be tricky, especially when dealing with pickiness, concerns of overeating, and schedules in flux. But following a division of responsibility in feeding, involving your child in the cooking process, and enjoying your food together all help to establish a child’s fruitful relationship with food.
Family therapist and feeding specialist, Ellyn Satter, recommends taking leadership with what, when, and where eating occurs and letting your child determine how much and whether to eat what you provide. During infancy, this means feeding your child “on demand” but as your child’s eating patterns become more regular, you gradually take on the responsibility for when and where to feed. And by the end of the first year or so, your child can begin taking part in family meals and sit down snacks. Once he gets situated with the routine of eating in this manner, this is a great time to introduce small decision making into the what and how of meal planning, doing grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning up together. According to Satter, “When you do your jobs with feeding, your child will do his with eating.”
Click here to see more tips and strategies from Ellyn’s philosophy on division of responsibility. And for those picky eaters, Early Sprouts has a great handout on patience, persistence, and acceptance of your child’s current relationship with certain foods.