As I learned when becoming a mother, nothing prepared me for the moment my toddler stopped eating everything I offered him–from pureed dishes to food off my plate–that he used to devour regularly before his sudden food strike began causing much chaos during our daily meals – causing both frustration for him and me!
Why has my toddler suddenly become picky eater? (Part II of II). Related Topic: Why has My Toddler become such an Picky Eater (Part I).
Things he used to love now end up on the floor, while his newfound fondness of shaking his head no is only making this situation more frustrating as a mother. While at times I feel helpless at my child becoming pickier eaters and question whether my cooking might be at fault for their pickiness; yet this stage known as toddler food strike is just another challenge on our parenthood ladder which we must conquer together.
Jill Castle, pediatric dietitian and founder of The Nourished Child(r), as well as Advisor of Brainiac Foods was kind enough to share some thoughts with me regarding handling toddler food strikes. Here’s what she had to say:
Toddlers typically demonstrate this trend by either refusing foods they previously enjoyed, or being stuck on craving the same ones over and over. This behavior stems from developmental stages – they want more independence but don’t quite know how. So there is often push-pull action during toddlerhood with regards to feeding themselves with what goes inside of their bodies.”
Related: Experts discovered an easy strategy to get toddlers eating more veggies
“Toddlers are discovering and exploring their environment, which may prove both fascinating and distracting for parents. Parents might worry they have done something to trigger food strikes or picky eating behavior from 2-6 year-old children; but such episodes are actually commonplace among these age groups.”
Are You Experienceing Trouble Feeding Your Toddler? Like I, do you find yourself struggling to understand where things have gone wrong when your toddler refuses to eat? Fear not: here are a few helpful suggestions which should hopefully ease through what seems like the inevitable food strike for our little ones!
How to handle a toddler food strike
- Practice Patience
If your toddler refuses to eat, try being patient. While the easiest response might be getting angry about this behavior and throwing their food around the room, I have come to learn over time that patience is our friend when things like this arise – taking several deep breaths while reminding myself it may just be temporary can help calm me in times of chaos!
As part of my strategy to control my temperament, I focus on not showing my upset emotions towards my son. Instead, I give him ample opportunities to eat his food before I remove any leftover items and say, “All gone”. Once finished eating I simply take away whatever remains and remove him from the kitchen scene until his appetite comes back again – though once he understands he still needs food later he may return for more!
- Don’t hover Over Your Child
Sadly, that describes me when it comes to my son’s eating. Usually I try all I can to encourage him to consume food; recently however I’ve taken on a different approach: encouraging healthy options instead.
As soon as my son is settled into his highchair and eating is finished, I get up from my seat to tidy the kitchen by loading the dishwasher or saving leftovers for my husband. I’ve noticed that when I don’t pressurize him with food he tends to consume more, so loosening my grip and giving him independence has often worked better for us both.
Related Content: How I stopped worrying about what my kids ate (or didn’t eat).
- Provide Multiple Eating Opportunities “Parents should make sure their child has multiple eating opportunities each day,” advised Castle. Typically this would consist of providing three main meals and two to three snacks throughout the day as food offerings or offerings per three or four hours; these options allow their child to choose how much of each item meets his or her appetite.”
“To ensure proper nutrition is being consumed throughout the day, offer several opportunities for children to eat nutritious food throughout the day and give them control of when and what they eat – don’t force a child into eating something, as that may only increase picky eating and food strikes”.
- Don’t Make A Scene When Your Child Won’t Eat
As previously discussed, when my son indicates he has finished eating I simply say, “all gone,” remove him from the kitchen setting, and say nothing more until they eat again. According to Castle advice is made no public scene about your toddler going off their food for whatever reason; otherwise it could exacerbate his or her strike even further than before.
Focusing too heavily on what and how much a child eats may lead to perceived pressure; some kids don’t respond well when parents push, cajole and urge them to consume food. Instead, maintaining regular meal and snack times with predictable times for meals and snacks often results in faster resolution rather than creating confrontation at meal times.”
- Understand When Medical Attention Is Necessary
While food refusal may seem normal for toddlers, in certain situations it could require professional advice. If your toddler seems unwilling to eat and you observe unusual or troubling behaviors surrounding their refusal (e.g. losing weight,) this should be taken as more than an ordinary food strike and considered medical intervention. Talking with their physician will allow you to discover any underlying problems which are leading to them not eating regularly.
Related Article: My child has always been picky eater; therefore I felt guilty and ashamed as a mom
No matter how challenging the toddler food strike may seem, there’s always an effective solution available to you. When your toddler refuses to eat, keep this stage of parenthood as an experience along your parenting journey in perspective; remember you have this battle on board along with all others yet ahead!