Doctors Food For Kids
Feeding Your Toddler
Your responsibility as a parent is to offer healthy foods in a nurturing environment. Your child’s job is to decide what and how much of what is offered he will eat.
This is a very important concept and worth repeating to yourself from time to time. In simplest terms – provide a balanced diet for your toddler, limiting sweets and salt. Limit milk to 16 – 24 oz. per day and undiluted juice to a maximum of eight oz. per day.
The nutritional needs of babies and toddlers are different from those of adults. A typical toddler portion is one quarter of an adult portion. Do not restrict fat and cholesterol, which are necessary for adequate growth. Do not give babies and toddlers high fiber, low calorie foods, which may not have enough calories. Offer a variety of foods over time to your toddler.
Nurturing
Your toddler may start to seek out other children of her own age. But she may not play with them. Sometimes, if there is an older sibling, they may play with each other.
Your toddler is not ready to understand social concepts like sharing, taking turns,or giving back other children’s toys. Be patient as he/she learns this.
Your toddler’s clinginess to you will decrease as he/she starts to understand that you will be there for her or that you will come back after a short separation. Separation anxiety will fade away.
Your toddler will like to participate in things that you do for him. For example, he will help you undress him. Even if this may take a little longer, encourage this as it allows them to develop confidence and their physical skills.
Your toddler will start to test her limits and show defiance, including increasing use of the word “no”.
Your toddler is developing cognitive ability at this point. It is important to let it flourish. For example, he/she may surprise you by using a cricket bat to get a ball that has rolled under a bed. It is important that they learn these things by experimenting. Your role should be to ensure safety and to help them before they get frustrated.
Your toddler is also growing his vocabulary a lot and is learning more from you. Since he/she imitates what you say, be careful about what you say around him to avoid any embarrassing repetitions. Help him grow his vocabulary with more picture books and by continuing to expose him to various scenarios.
Feeding is an area where parents and toddlers can get into major power struggles. You are frequently worried that your child is not eating enough, or not eating the right kinds of foods. This anxiety may cause you to pressure your child, who immediately picks up the cue that this is an area for struggle. In battles over food, you, the parent almost certainly will lose. The more you force your child to eat, the more she will resist. If this leaves you feeling out of control – remember, you are in control. You control the food you offer your child. Eventually, she will get hungry and eat.
