Tips & Tricks To Deal With A Fussy Eater

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

Hello, gorgeous moms! Hope all of you are doing great. Now, today I am going to discuss a topic which is of primary concern for every mother.

How we wish and pray that our kids finish everything that we lay before them. If they finish up their food we feel so happy. Don’t we? But, alas! there are kids who fuss a lot every time we try to feed them. It’s a really tough time for both the mother as well as the child. Today we will try to discuss why does it happen and what can be done to deal with it.

Reasons for being a fussy eater-

Have you ever wondered why does your child fuss so much over eating? No? Okay, let’s discuss it first:

• Constipation or Colic Issues- It’s a serious problem with toddlers and kids. Since their digestive system has just started working they might have frequent problems of constipation and colic disorders. At times they might not able to share it or express the issue with elders creating a disinterest in having food. So, try to understand your child and his/her problems before everything else. 

• Not Hungry- Just, like us adults, at times kids also might not feel hungry or maybe they are already full. It can be one of the important reasons as to why we need to struggle so much to make them eat.

• Lack of Physical Activities- As we all are aware that times have been changed and kids nowadays are very much restricted from undergoing physical activities. Most of the times they are glued to their screens leaving very less or limited space and scope for physical activities. It is another and a very important point owing to their disinterest in eating. Since sitting all day and very less exercise leads to indigestion and hence may create many stomach disorders.

• Force Feeding- As a mother, we try to cook the best and the tastiest food possible for our kids. But, when he/she refuses it we feel so sad and unknowingly at times, we tend to force them for eating thereby unknowingly leading them to a great disinterest in food. They might feel we are not understanding them and trying to force for eating hence they might totally run away from the plate.

• Hyper-Active Child- Now, we are all going to agree on this point I guess. When we are in a hurry we tend to leave our food or just have a bite of it no matter how delicious it is. At the more we sometimes totally refuse it saying we don’t have time for it right now. The same thing too might happen with our kids. They might avoid having food so as to invest more time in other activities.

 Now before discussing the points as to what can be done to help a fussy eater improve his food habits we should understand what issue the child is having that he/she refuses to have food.

Below are a few tips and tricks to help a fussy eater love what he/she is eating:

• Tummy Massage As Well As Warm Fluids Moms if you see the child is crying and fussing a lot over having food maybe he/she is facing constipation or a colic issue. For that, you can always give him/her a glass of warm milk or water to ease up. It will help to release the gas and thereby making him feel more comfortable and empty his stomach. Also, you can massage around the tummy area with warm mustard oil to release the gas and discomfort.

• Physical Activity- Moms prior to feeding the child let him/her do some sort of activities that involves physical work. It will help in better digestion and also the exercise would make him/her feel hungry. Here are some outdoor toys for your little one.

• Help And Involvement- Moms whenever you are cooking or preparing some food let the child run small errands for you. It can be passing you a small glass of water, tasting the salt or even chopping of vegetables. This will help him understand how hard we work to prepare food for the family and also make them more interested in food.

• Skillful Presentation- Even we adults take a great interest in foods that looks yummy and delicious so does kids. So, moms try to make food items more colourful and attractive. You can try making different shapes for foods. Also, you can give it a slight twist to the regular and normal food making it more attractive. But, please avoid using food colours.

• No force-feeding- It is also advised never to force-feed a child because it results in a total avoiding or disinterest in food. Let the child have food when they feel hungry and not because we are forcing them.

• Hyper Or Playful Child- If the child is too hyper or playful you can offer them healthy and tasty quick bites. It can be dry fruits, fluids like milkshakes or different juices and even healthy cookies.

• Food Timings- Also, please take care of the timings of the food. Make a note of it. Don’t give it too often because if the child is not hungry they will never eat. Let them have something then do some physical work as already discussed before.

Lastly, every child is different and special in their own way so try to understand them. And also please consult your paediatrician for better development of the child in both physical and mental aspects. That’s all for today beautiful moms. Motherhood is all the more beautiful with all its struggles, ups and downs. But, as we all know MOTHERHOOD ROCKS!! So, enjoy your journey and take care. 

Happy Reading!

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Jusmi Saikia, mother to a one year old daughter is a teacher by profession in one of the reputed schools in Bangalore, India. She shares an immense love for writing as well as reading. She loves to write and share her ideas with the world around.

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are the personal views of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of The Mom Store.