Nutrition plays a key role in the harmonious development of the child, so every mom tries to give her child the best.
With infants, as a rule, there are no special problems, their diet is breast milk or milk formula. Questions begin when the time comes to introduce complementary foods.
When a child grows up a bit, most parents give him freedom in nutrition. They rely on his feelings and sensations and think that "nature will not deceive," that is, the child will demand what is necessary for his body.
Parents rely on the experience of other fathers and mothers, listen to the rules that it is not clear who came up with.
This article will focus on the mistakes of parents who are sure that they will correctly organize the process of feeding children.
Unfortunately, in the modern world there are still dads and mothers who ignore the advice of pediatricians and argue “the old fashioned way”. So their parents, grandparents thought, but time does not stand still.
Medicine is developing, so if these facts are refuted by doctors, you should forget about them as soon as possible.
Below are 10 misconceptions of parents about the nutrition of a child.
10. If a child prefers acidic foods, he has reduced acidity of gastric juice
Parents who have never been interested in medicine think that if the child asks for “sour,” the problem is the reduced acidity of the gastric juice. In fact, everything is commonplace here: children eat acidic foods, because they want it so much.
Such addictions can be explained by individual taste, but not by a decrease in acidity.
From the point of view of medicine, this condition is described as pathological. This is a serious disease that has its symptoms, such as nausea, heartburn, and stool disorder.
Therefore, do not worry when the child asks for a slice of lemon, do not worry, everything is fine with him.
9. The child needs to be taught to eat everything in a plate
This error is very, very many years. Parents always forced their children to eat food that lies on a plate.
They do not think that such behavior can lead to serious health problems: excess weight, eating disorder.
Unlike adults, a child eats as much as he needs. If he ate half the serving and felt full, do not force the child to eat up.
Try to adhere to this rule in your diet. You will be surprised, but you will feel much easier.
8. Soup is not necessary
European pediatricians believe that a child may well do without soup. Russian doctors are categorical in this matter, they advise parents not to refuse soup. Which of them is right?
Soup is a healthy dish. Its composition guarantees the satisfaction of the body's needs in meat, vegetables and cereals.
Agree, it’s quite problematic to feed your child a piece of meat, a side dish and salad. Children love soups and eat them willingly.
This dish has another indisputable advantage. Weather conditions in Russia are quite severe, so Russian people prefer to eat soup for lunch to keep warm.
If you still think that eating a first course is optional, invite your child to choose whether to eat soup or a second. He will definitely choose the soup.
7. Eats only what he wants - you can put up with it
Many children refuse healthy foods; they are ready to eat sausage, bread and sweets all day.
Parents in such a situation try to influence their child. If the attempt failed, they allow the child to eat what he wants. It is not right.
Parents must form the right eating habits for their child. You will have to try and convince your son or daughter that you should not only eat what you like.
Make the necessary diet and be cunning. Ask the baby to help you, he will definitely want to try what happened. Decorate food, cook unusual dishes, show imagination.
6. It is impossible to sit at the table, the child eats "on the run" - this is the norm
This also happens often. It is impossible to sit the child at the table, so parents allow him to eat “on the run”, explaining this as elementary “just to eat”.
If the child refuses to eat at the table, you will again have to use your gift of persuasion. Tell him an interesting story about children who refused to eat at the table, then their stomachs ached.
You can come up with something of your own, but do not let the child "grab the pieces." This is unsafe, he may choke. In addition, in the future it will be difficult for him to get rid of this habit.
You need to eat while sitting at the table, teach your child to abide by this rule and be sure to abide by it yourself, otherwise all your efforts are meaningless.
5. No need to insist on eating
Of course, you do not need to force the child to eat if he refuses, but you should not ignore such behavior. This may be a symptom of a starting illness or just a whim.
Understand the reasons. If a child is not feeling well, do not force him to eat. If he does not like the products offered, replace them with others, but do not forget to offer them periodically.
If this is just a whim, cunning will help. Interest the child, motivate him. Not the least role in the absence of appetite is played by the diet. If the child does not comply, be sure to address this issue.
4. Often wakes up at night and asks to drink - this is the norm
If a child asks for water at night, kefir or compote - this is normal, but only if it is a transitional stage. Everyone knows that young children eat at night, for them it is a necessity.
It often happens that a child grows up, but not to rush to refuse “night food”. It’s better not to delay this process. Eating at night is harmful, it affects the condition of the teeth and is fraught with digestive problems.
If the baby no longer sucks the nipple and does not need to satisfy the sucking reflex, offer him water from the mug. He will soon realize that waking up is useless.
If you think that the child is waking up from hunger, make an evening meal more dense. You can give him a glass of yogurt or other dairy product before bedtime.
3. If a child eats nothing during the day, and eats up at night - this is his feature
If your child eats this way, urgently change the regimen. Late meals negatively affect the endocrine system. Endocrine imbalance can occur, diabetes and obesity can develop.
In addition, at night, the child produces growth hormone. If you do not follow the diet, then its production stops, the physical development of the child is deteriorating.
2. The child himself is able to establish a diet
The diet should be observed not only by children, but also by adults. The human body lives according to its biological rhythms.
It is necessary to observe the time frame between meals, be sure to rest the digestive tract at night.
If the child eats by the clock, food will be easier to digest, there will be no problems with appetite. Failure to comply with the diet leads to serious diseases: gastritis, problems with the pancreas and gall bladder.
1. Ask to eat when he wants
Perhaps this is the most common misconception about the nutrition of children. It has already been noted above that a child must adhere to a certain diet. You don’t want your son or daughter to suffer from a stomach since childhood?
Do not expect the child to ask, offer him breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. If a child is hungry, offer him fruit or vegetables.
Do not give sweets, fatty foods, pastries. Such food will interrupt the appetite, the child will refuse a full meal.