October 2021 www.womanthismonth.com 60 LIFESTYLE | opinion MY CHILD ISN’T EATING! Is your child fussing over food? Ouiam El Hassani tells you how to deal with your picky eater. Since your child's birth, you are in charge of their feeding journey. You feed them by breast or bottle, even with a spoon, and they will tolerate whatever you put in their mouths. Then, suddenly, your baby is a toddler, and things are never the same again. When children begin to refuse food, it’s natural to start worrying. Questions such as: “What have I done wrong?", "Why isn't my child eating?” and “Will they be ok?" enter your mind. Well, the first thing you should remember is that you are not alone and your child is very much like all his peers at this age. The reasons for your child's sudden food aversions are both simple and complex: Your child is becoming more independent At the age of two, children are now capable of walking alone, communicating their needs, figuring out their personality, and being in control of their body; they can close their mouth to signal that they do not want to eat whatever you are offering, they can cry, scream, or throw a tantrum. Toddlers are very intuitive They notice patterns and act on them. If, as a baby, your toddler ate sweet food such as bananas and apples, they will get used to it. So, when you introduce non-sweet vegetables or fruits, they simply won't recognise the taste because they haven't developed a palate for it yet. Also, parents tend to feed their kids what they like and steer clear of foods they don't like. Eating is a learned behaviour that starts with the first spoon you give your child.
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