How has your child changed from when she was younger?
What do you like about this age?
What don’t you like?
Now that your child is no longer a baby, she can be part of the family with her eating. She will behave with eating as she does with everything else. She will eat what the rest of the family eats, but it has to be her idea. If you try to make her eat, she will get stubborn. She wants to be her own person, but she needs you more than ever. It’s your job to keep her safe and teach her how to behave. It’s not easy living with a toddler, but it isn’t easy being one, either!
Plan meals with 4 or 5 or 6 foods. Include 1 or 2 foods your toddler usually eats. Then let her decide what to eat from what you have for the meal. Don’t offer only the food she likes. Don’t make substitutes. You know more about food than she does. She is learning to eat the food you eat.
With feeding as with everything else, your toddler needs structure and limits.
- She needs 3 meals a day at set times.
- She needs snacks between meals at set times.
- Between meal and snack times, she needs you to say no when she begs for food or drinks—except for water.
- Family meals are important. Even if just you and your child eat together, make it a meal.
- Turn off the TV so you can enjoy being together.
