1. The child's developmental level
The gross motor development can satisfy the child to sit firmly on the dining chair;
Fine motor development can satisfy the child's initiative to grab solid food;
Eye, mouth and hand coordination can put food in the mouth;
The ability of the oral cavity to handle food should satisfy the child's ability to swallow food smoothly without choking.
The developmental level of a child is the basis for autonomous eating. If the ability is not up to it, even if the child wants to eat on his own, it is difficult to achieve it. Only when the ability is available can this thing begin.
2. The child's desire to eat
Hunger is the driving force behind eating.
It's easy to get a sense of hunger, "don't eat, just be hungry for two meals", but this does not solve the problem. Only the regular appearance of hunger will make the child show a continuous "good appetite". When it's time to start a meal, when it's time to close the stall, and when you don't eat or sleep, let's play.
Generally speaking, children aged 6-12 months will have 6 meals during the day and 5 meals for 1-2 years old. The supplementary food time can be synchronized with the adult meals, and milk or extra meals can be arranged between meals. Regular meal times can bring regular hunger pangs.
3. Parents have basic growth assessment skills
Eating is to meet the needs of the body, and the growth status can reflect to a certain extent whether the diet is adequate.
A correct understanding of the child's growth is conducive to making a reasonable expectation of the child's food intake, avoiding unrealistic requirements and unnecessary anxiety. Simple comparisons with other children or judgments based on subjective feelings are not objective enough. The WHO growth curve evaluation is recommended.
4. Parents have the ability to judge children's hunger and fullness
For children who have developed regular eating, the appearance of hunger will show a certain pattern, which is easy for adults to grasp. Adults need to understand some common signals for children who are in the process of cultivating regular eating habits and children who are not able to actively express their needs.
In this way, parents can know when the child is about to start and when to close the stall, so as to achieve compliant feeding.
5. Parents have the awareness to adjust food texture in real time
Starting from adding complementary foods, the texture of the food should follow the principle of from thin to thick, from fine to coarse.
In fact, every child has a different level of development, and the ability of the oral cavity to handle food is strong or weak. Don't be too constrained to the specific age of the month. When the child accepts a food texture, parents should consciously move forward. If the child has difficulty handling the food with the improved texture, he can return to the previous texture to feed, and then give it a try.
In this way, it can be ensured that the quality of the food provided is closest to the requirements of the child's current developmental level, so that the earliest opportunity to start solid food can be found.
6. Parents have basic knowledge of meal arrangements
The best dietary arrangement is manifested in the diversification of food. It is recommended that there be five or more types of food per day, so that there is no need to worry about nutritional imbalance.
The eight categories of food are classified as follows:
Breast milk/formula milk
Cereals and rhizomes (ie staple food)
Legumes, nuts and seeds
Dairy products (refers to animal milk, yogurt and cheese)
Meat food (including meat, fish, and poultry)
Eggs
Vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables (dark fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, mangoes, tangerines, leafy green vegetables, pumpkins, sweet potatoes)
Other fruits and vegetables (light-colored fruits and vegetables, such as lettuce, cabbage, banana, pear)
7. Create a good eating atmosphere (each perform their duties)
The role of parents
What to eat, when and where to eat:
Serving children, providing family-style food, parents set a good example of healthy eating
Keep eating regularly and have snacks between meals
Do not provide children with drinks or food between meals, you can give plain water
Eat meals and snacks at a fixed location every time
When parents and children eat together, don’t disturb their attention
Child's role
How much to eat, whether to eat:
Allow children to eat on their own and help them eat according to their wishes in time if necessary
Don’t limit their food intake, try to provide enough food, and allow them when they want to eat more.
Avoid compulsory eating, this measure will interfere with the child's adaptation to the new food, and will bring pressure to the child
Let the child decide what to eat
Let the child decide how much to eat
8. Parents have good emotional control skills
There are some scenarios where parents need to have psychological expectations, such as:
The child throws food 2 meters away, stuffs it into clothes or picks it up to feed the dog
Carefully make for 2 hours, the child will slip away after a few bites
Haven't started eating yet, I have put the whole bowl on my head
Faced with your rich food mix, the child may only eat white rice for this meal
I silently read in my heart: "1, 2, 3....If you are not angry, you are not angry, you are your own people, you should perform your own duties, and you will not be overwhelmed. Harmony is more important."
9. Parents have the ability to deal with suffocation incidents
Avoid providing food that may choke the baby, so as not to put the child in danger
10. Unified family parenting concept
To successfully teach a child, we must first establish a good parent-child relationship with him. In the same way, in order to reach a unified concept of parenting, it is necessary to establish a good family relationship first.
Parenting disagreements are an obstacle to family education, and not getting the support of your family members may make your plans fall to nothing.