Principles to help 1-2 year old children reduce anorexia
Children 1-2 years old often have poor appetite, many mothers worry whether their children eat enough or not. This mentality causes parents to put a lot of pressure on their children's eating.
Some mothers give their children unhealthy foods such as candy, soft drinks, and fast food in the hope of "getting something to eat" when their children have poor appetite. This leads to a high rate of anorexia, which is more serious when the child is 3 years old.
Things parents should know about ages 1-2- Babies begin to have a definition of "liked foods" and "disliked foods" from 1 year old and up and this can change. If parents practice feeding their children properly during this period, they will eat well. However, if they practice eating incorrectly, they will gradually accumulate bad habits and prolong the state of anorexia when they are older.
- The growth of 1-2 year old babies is slower than that of children under 1 year old, with an average gain of 2.4 kg/year.
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| If children do not practice eating properly, they will gradually accumulate bad habits and prolong their anorexia when they grow up. Photo:Ilaiki |
- This is the time to guide your child to have better eating behavior rather than force feeding. Parents forcing their child to eat during this period will cause the child to have a poor appetite that will last until 3-4 years old or longer.
- For children who grow well, a few days of poor appetite is normal.
Advice for parents with children with poor appetite- Don't give up if your baby refuses your food. Be patient and find opportunities to reintroduce it to your baby, at least 10 times or more, so that your baby gets used to it.
- Parents should limit milk to no more than 500 ml/day. Using too much milk will make the baby full and not interested in eating.
- You should not force your baby to eat anything. For babies of adequate weight, you should feed them the right amount and introduce a variety of foods. If your baby is underweight, you should introduce the right amount according to their age but divide the meals into smaller portions and diversify the foods.
- You should not choose mealtime after your baby is too tired from playing, balance mealtime and playtime appropriately.
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| Parents should limit milk to no more than 500 ml/day. Using too much milk will make the baby full and not interested in eating. Photo:Bebimil. |
- Parents should not give or reward children with candy or unhealthy foods to replace the food they refuse to eat. Children will form the bad habit of "eating is a reward".
- The main meal should not exceed 30 minutes, and the snack should be 20 minutes. If your baby is stubborn for more than 10 minutes, let him sit still in the chair for a few minutes before letting him out of the chair and ending the meal.
- Parents should create a mealtime environment that is not too stressful and has many distractions (TV, phone, toys).
- Children of this age are encouraged to eat at the same time as other family members and sit in high chairs. Watching and imitating other family members' eating habits helps children overcome the stage of anorexia well.
- Give your child 2 extra snacks to provide more energy for activities at this age. Choose a simple snack menu, give your child the opportunity to prepare it with you, children all like dishes that play a role in that process.
