Rena Rosenthal, a registered dietitian in Sunnybrook’s neonatal intensive care unit, works with families to provide strategies to encourage happy feeding. A happy feeder is comfortable with eating and able to enjoy food and mealtimes.

“Parents who have had a premature baby are often concerned about weight gain for their infants and children, sometimes to the point where food, and eating enough of it, becomes a huge issue,” says Rena, adding that this can also be an issue for families who haven’t had a baby in the NICU. “There are a number of steps parents can take with the goal of making meal and snack times much less stressful.”

The ultimate goal is to have your child accept new foods, and also be in tune with their body to know when they are hungry and when they are full.

It’s normal for children in their toddler years (and beyond!) to be finicky eaters. The good news? There’s a lot you can do a lot to ensure your child is ready for a lifetime of enjoying food and mealtimes.

Here are Rena’s tips for families with children from age six months right through to the teen years:

Meals are partnerships

Everyone has a role to play in the partnership, with parents deciding what, when and where to feed and children deciding whether and how much to eat. This approach sets up kids, and their parents, for success. Children learn how to enjoy a variety of foods and parents learn to respect their kids’ hunger cues.

Meals = teamwork

Include your children in planning and preparing family meals. How much your child can do will of course depend on their age. For young children, sprinkling cheese on dishes or helping distribute taco shells to each member of the family is a fun role. Involving your children in menu and meal planning is a good idea too.

Schedule meals and snacks

Make a schedule and routine and stick to it. This means no grazing between meals, and all meals and snacks should be eaten together with your child either in a high chair or seated around the table.

“But she didn’t eat anything…”

What if your kid doesn’t eat much, or anything? Don’t panic, advises Rena. Children balance themselves by eating more at one meal and less at another. Focus less on what your child is eating and more on how they feel and behave at meal times. Your child should be offered the same food as the rest of the family. Do not prepare different foods for them.

Learn to trust your child’s cues

Respect that your child will learn to know when they are hungry and when they are full. Meal times are over once your child seems disinterested in eating or starts to misbehave (for example, throwing food). They can leave the table and play quietly while the rest of the family finishes eating.

Encourage family mealtimes

Come together over food and share stories about your day. It’s also an opportunity for your kids to see you trying new foods, meaning they’re more likely to try new foods as well.

Minimize distractions

Put away all technology, turn off the TV and separate mealtimes from playtime. Toys, as well as technology like phones or tablets, should not be brought to the table during mealtimes.

Embrace messiness

Let your child self-feed, even if they’re using their hands. Allow your child to feel in control when it comes to food and eating.

Don’t play games

Avoid entertaining or playing games to get your children to eat more. Don’t praise your child for eating or show disapproval when they don’t eat. Rena suggests no pressuring, bribing or sneaking food into your child’s mouth.

Be patient

Learning how to be a happy feeder takes time and patience. The more you practice with your children, the more comfortable they will feel about making their own decisions surrounding food.

Having a child who is a picky eater can be stressful. Remember there are constructive steps parents can take to shape their children’s view of food to ensure they become happy feeders.

If you’re concerned your child isn’t growing as they should be, or you and/or your child is feeling very anxious about meal times and feeding, be sure to make an appointment with your paediatrician or family doctor.

The post Is your child a picky eater? We have tips appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Just in time for the holidays, the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council has released a list of 12 fire safety tips. Fire safety is an important topic at any time of year, but there are a few added precautions you can take to keep your family and loved ones safe this holiday season:

1. Water fresh trees daily – Keep the base of the trunk in water at all times, and place your tree away from any ignition source like fireplaces, heaters or candles.

2. Check all lights before decorating – Discard any sets of lights that are frayed or damaged. Never plug more than 3 strings of lights together, and don’t connect LED to conventional lights.

3. Make sure smoke alarms work and replace any over 10 years old – It’s the law to have working smoke alarms on every storey of your home and outside sleeping areas. Test alarms monthly and replace batteries once per year.

4. Install a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm – If your home has a wood or gas fireplace, an attached garage or other fuel-burning device, you must have a working CO alarm outside every sleeping area- it’s the law.

5. Develop and practice a home fire escape plan – make sure everyone in your family knows it, including guests who are staying over the holidays.

6. Use extension cords safely – Avoid overloading plugs and extension cords, as this can cause overheating and fire. Never put cords under rugs.

7. Give space heaters space – Keep them at least 1 metre away from things that could catch fire.

8. Avoid using real candles, go flameless instead – If you use real candles, keep them out of reach of children and pets, and remember to blow them out before leaving the room.

9. Keep matches and lighters out of kids’ reach – If you smoke, have only one lighter or book of matches and keep it with you at all times.

10. Watch what you heat – Always stay in the kitchen and pay attention to your cooking, especially if using oil or high temperatures. If a pot catches fire, carefully slide a tight fitting lid over the pot to smother the flames, then turn off the heat.

11. Encourage smokers to smoke outside – Careless smoking is the leading cause of fatal fires. Use large, deep ashtrays that can’t be knocked over, and make sure cigarette butts are properly extinguished.

12. If under the influence of alcohol, avoid cooking or smoking – Alcohol is often a common factor in many fatal fires.

Source: Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council: safeathome.ca/12days

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12 tips for holiday fire safety

1. Water fresh trees daily

2. Check all lights before decorating

3. Make sure smoke alarms work, replace if more than 10 years old

4. Install a carbon monoxide detector- it’s the law

5. Develop and practice a fire escape plan

6. Use extension cords safely

7. Give space heaters at least one metre of space

8. Avoid using real candles- go flameless instead

9, Keep matches and lighter out of kids’ reach

10. Watch what you heat- pay attention to your cooking

11. Encourage smokers to smoke outside

12. If under the influence of alcohol, avoid cooking or smoking

Source: Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council: safeathome.ca/12days

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