Why forcing your kids to eat doesn't work
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As parents, we want the best for our kids. We research the best baby products for them, baby proof our house as they become more mobile, and are continually teaching them. Our desire to provide the best may lead into pressure and forcing kids to eat especially when it comes to vegetables. It is coming from a place of concern knowing the nutrient packed punch foods such as vegetables provide and wanting to help nourish your little ones body but when the toddler expresses a very different desire, it can cause a lot of tension at the dinner table.
Stepping away from the tactic of forcing a child to eat requires the thought process to shift from the goal of getting the bites in tonight to providing a foundation for a healthy relationship with food to last a lifetime. Forcing foods can create a negative association with that food and may create a negative experience around family mealtimes. Feeding kids is a marathon and not a sprint.
Following Satter's Division of Responsibility in knowing that it is a parent's job to decide what foods are served, where & when they are served, helps provide reassurance that you have done your job with providing for your child. It is now up to your child to decide which foods to eat from what is served and how much. Leaving pressure off the menu will make for more enjoyable, bonding moments for the family to spend the time focusing on each other rather than how many bites are going into their mouths.