Tips for Dealing with Picky Eater Toddlers

Dhea instantly shut his mouth when Lusi (31), his mother, thrust the spoon which contains rice with vegetables spinach. However, 3-year-old girl was happily eating rice with fried sausage after the mother remove vegetables from his plate.

According to Louise, her daughter every day, just want to eat if given a side dish of fried sausages or eggs alone. "He immediately went on hunger strike if given the vegetables. And I had to outsmart so vegetables do not look," said the woman who is a lecturer of this.

Feeding in children under five is often a problem for parents. Many children against their parents when it comes to food and diet. Children who have difficulty eating or just ask the same types of foods such as Dhea is also called the picky eater. The children in this category are quite a lot, almost 50 percent.

Difficulty eating, according to Dr. Aryono Hendarto, Sp.A (K), most often experienced by children at the age of 1-5 years. "At this age children are usually very active and are happy to explore the surroundings. Therefore, no child likes eating activity because it is considered boring," said a doctor who is usually called Ari.

A survey showed that most children are picky eaters only eat mashed foods they like porridge (27.3 percent) and have kesulitah chewing and swallowing (24.1 percent). However, children picky eaters at age 2-3 years, in general, just like a certain food types.

Although the general experience of children under five, Dr. Ari confirmed that difficulty eating is not just a stage of growth. "There are many factors that affect why kids so it's hard to eat, for example because the child had a disease that does not have appetite to eat or because of psychological factors," said a doctor from the Division of Child Nutrition and Metabolic FKUI / RSCM Jakarta.

In seeking the causes of child feeding difficulties, according to Dr. Ari, there are some things parents need to be evaluated, for example, whether the number and amount of food that was given in accordance with the needs of children. "The size of the stomach of each child's different backgrounds, we should not force children to spend an excessive portion," he said in the event parenting workshops on nutrition for children hosted by Abbott Nutrition in Jakarta some time ago.

Parents also need to explore the character of children. For example, if the child including a difficult temperament or whether the parents have created a suitable environment. In addition, parents should also be sensitized on child hunger and satiety. "If just one hour to drink milk, it was clear he was still satisfied when told to eat," he explained.

When children do not eat well, they probably will not get the portion of the nutrients it needs so that it can have an impact on growth. Even so, parents should not give the wrong treatment to the child. "Forcing children to eat will only make things worse," added Dr Tjin Wiguna, Sp.KJ (K), a child psychiatrist.

He explained that, if parents want to develop eating properly, parents should first set an example for his son. "How can kids like vegetables if their parents never ate vegetables or bad comment on vegetables," he said.

Parents are also expected to create a comfortable environment, not in a hurry, and without pressure. "Children are also entitled to make choices like eating anything. Throughout healthy, meet only the demand for children," said Dr. Tjin.

Such as milk supplementation in children difficult to eat, according to Dr. Ari, okay if the child has a growth disorder, such as less weight. "Keep in mind that the supplement is not a substitute for daily meals. Children still need to be taught good eating habits," he said.

To find out the nutritional adequacy diasup children, parents can see from the chart the growth of the child's weight. "If within three months of weight infants do not go up, then indeed he is short of nutrients," he said.