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Feeding Your
Preschool Child with Love and Understanding
 It may be a challenge to feed
a toddler. To a toddler, manipulating you is a way to show
newfound independence. You are responsible for what toddlers
are given to eat and when and where they eat. The toddlers
are responsible for how much, if anything, is eaten.
Another aspect of feeding toddlers that makes it a challenge
is that they have erratic eating habits. They often have
strange food preferences. Or, when you feel sure you know
their favorite foods, they won't even touch what had been a favorite.
Also, they usually eat only small amounts at a time, but they
always seem to want snacks.
A child's growth rate is slower between one and five years
of age than it was in the great growth spurt during infancy.
Many parents become concerned that something is wrong with a
child who doesn't eat as much as a toddler as she did as an infant.
The decrease in appetite and less interest in food are caused
by the normal slower growth rate of a toddler. Between
three and five years of age, a child probably will not gain more
than four pounds a year. While growth is slowing, a child
is shifting from large motor to fine motor activity. Many
basic feeding skills can be mastered during this period.
One-to Two-Year-Olds
A child this age is a finicky eater and has food jags.
A toddler holds food in the mouth without swallowing and also
has an unpredictable appetite. He may eat every two to
three hours. Two-year-olds can use big arm muscles to scrub,
tear, break, snap and dip.
What you can do:
1. Encourage your child to feed itself. Plan
for spills and accidents. By two, most children have learned
to use a spoon and a cup to feed themselves.
2. Adapt a chair in a way that the child can reach the
table. Have a foot rest!
3. Use unbreakable dishes and small utensils.
4. Serve foods at room temperature.
5. Serve foods that are easy to chew, have interesting
shapes and have bright colors. Children like to pick up
food with their own hands and chew on it.
6. Serve separate foods, not mixtures.
7. Use chopped, home-prepared foods for ease and save
money, instead of buying junior baby foods.
8. Pour drinks into a cup that is wide at the bottom.
Children have good control of a cup. They can lift, drink,
set it down and hold with one hand.
9. Do not feed children under five years old round foods
such as hot dogs, candy, nuts and grapes. One child under
five chokes to death every five days. Young children can
easily choke on these round foods.
Three-Year-Olds
As a child develops better hand and finger control, fewer
spills and accidents will occur. Three-year-old children
have better appetites than two-year-olds. However, they
also have times when they are not hungry. They eat most
foods except certain vegetables. They dawdle over food
when not hungry, and they comment on how foods are served.
Three-Year-Olds Can:
1. Use a spoon in semi-adult fashion; may spear with
a fork.
2. Pour milk and juice and serve individual portions
from a serving dish if given instruction.
3. Can wrap, mix, spread and shake because of the development
of medium hand muscles.
4. Eat independently, especially if hungry.
Four-Year-Olds
Four-and five-year-old children like to help in the kitchen.
Let them mix or stir ingredients, make sandwiches or clean fruits
and vegetables. Children like to eat foods they have helped
to prepare. With four-year-olds, eating and talking get
in the way; they prefer to talk! They have strong likes
and dislikes.
Four-Year-Olds Can:
1. Use all eating utensils
2. Help with meal preparation by wiping, washing, setting
table, pouring measured ingredients.
3. Peel, spread, cut, roll and mash foods; crack eggs
because of the development of small finger muscles.
Five-Year-Olds
Five year olds like familiar foods and they prefer most vegetables
raw. They notice food dislikes of family members and declare
these as their own. It's important for family members
and others to practice healthy eating habits.
Five Year Olds Can:
1. Make a simple breakfast and lunch.
2. Measure, cut, grind and grate because of fine coordination
in fingers and hands.
3. Preschoolers' appetites and the amount of food they
eat change from day to day. Forcing a child to eat will
make mealtime an unhappy experience for everyone. Pleasant
mealtimes have a positive effect on the eating habits of children.
Tips For Feeding Young Children
1. Schedule regular meals and snacks for toddlers since
they require frequent feeding to ensure adequate intake of calories
and nutrients.
2. Always try to offer at least one food the child likes.
3. Remain calm if the child leaves an entire meal untouched.
4. Do not be concerned about short food jags, stretches
of time when the child wants the same food over and over.
If this behavior continues for a long period and eliminates entire
food groups, consult your pediatrician.
5. Teach and reinforce good table manners.
6. Allow the child to eat slowly.
7. Offer healthy food in a relaxed manner, and children
will eat what they need.
  
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