How to Deal With Toddler Food Refusal

Handling a Fussy Eater in the Family

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Feb 4, 2010 Paul Garrigan

Dealing with toddler food refusal can be distressing for parents. Many children go through a period of being a fussy eater.

Parents are likely to become concerned if their child does not want to eat. Toddler food refusal can cause a lot of stress for the mum and dad; it can also be upsetting for the child if parents try and force the issue.

What is Meant by Toddler Food Refusal?

It is quite common for young children to go through periods where they are fussy eaters. Some may be hard to feed almost from day one while others will just have a short period where they don’t want to eat certain foods. In most cases toddler food refusal will not lead to any long-term problems, but in a minority of cases it can cause health and developmental problems. Child psychologists suggest that food refusal might be a normal part of growing up for some children; but it also could be sometimes indicating early stage anorexia.

Tips for Dealing With a Fussy Eater

  1. The most important advice for dealing with young children who won’t eat is to not to try and force the issue. Parents need to avoid becoming anxious because the toddler can respond to this by becoming more adamant in not wanting to eat.
  2. Young children like routine so parents need to have a regular meal schedule. Any disruption to the routine should be avoided if possible because it can take toddlers a few days to settle back again.
  3. Parents should try and eat with their toddler. It is well known that children like to copy mum and dad; this is especially important when introducing a new type of meal. It is also suggested that parents offer encouragement and praise if their child eats well.
  4. Meal time should be fun and relaxed with no other distractions. It is difficult for young children to focus on more than one thing at a time so the television needs to be turned off. Parents should not try and rush their child as some can be quite slow eaters; it is recommended that twenty-five minutes is an acceptable amount of time. Finger food can be a good way of making meal times more fun for fussy little eaters.

What to Do if Toddler Food Refusal Continues

If toddler food refusal continues or if parents feel the slightest bit concerned then they need to bring their child for a medical assessment. Malnutrition can have very serious effects on growing children and it can affect their development as well as their health.

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The copyright of the article How to Deal With Toddler Food Refusal in Infants & Toddlers is owned by Paul Garrigan. Permission to republish How to Deal With Toddler Food Refusal in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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