Is it ok for kids to graze,some days?
By muscare
@muscare (3068)
Australia
April 10, 2007 2:57am CST
My 4yr old son can be quite a picky eater somedays. On other days he eats really well. I used to worry on the days that he seemed to hardly eat anything all at once, but lots of snacks, mostly healthy, throughout the day. Other days he seems like he hardly eats anything. He's quite a healthy, active kid, so it doesn't seem to affect him. Do you think it's ok not to push him to eat lots at a set mealtime if he's not hungry? I don't say no to snacks, so that he eats his main meals, I think it is wrong to deny a snack if he's obviously hungry.
1 person likes this
2 responses
@KissThis (3003)
• United States
10 Apr 07
My daughter is a picky eater. She doesn't always eat a large dinner. She eats a lot of small snacks through out the day. I make sure that I have healthy snacks available so that if she doesn't happen to eat her dinner because of having a snack atleast I know that she isn't filling up on junk food.
My daughters doctor has told me several times that it is better for a child to eat several snacks a day then for them to eat three big meals.
@nageswari75 (675)
•
10 Apr 07
My kid is a very picky one too.And she does skip meals somedays,eating mainly chips and stuff like that.But I have learnt not to force food because if I do,she somehow senses my resentment about her not eating amy meals and starts being cranky at mealtimes just to draw my attention.So I let her graze somedays,mostly on weekends when we go out.I try to buy her good and healthy snacks though,like cereal bars etc.As long as she is active and healthy,it does not bother me.Earlier,I used to worry a lot about her lack of weight gain.She is smaller than she should be for her age.But her pediatrician stressed to me the fact that heredity does play an important role too.And I am not on the fat side,as a kid I was very skinny too.I do have to deny my child a snack because she has the habit of eating snacks all day if I donot feed her the main meal forcefully on some days.She will be content to live on chocolates,,chips and other snacks.So I strictly don't give her any snack 2 hours before mealtime so that she feels hungry enough for the meal.My main concern is that I donot want her to start skipping main meals and instead satisfy herself with high calorie-no nutrient snacks.I already see that she can eat a whole bag of chips all by herself and that scares the life out of me.
I think that at this age,3-5 yrs,kids are learning to set into a schedule.it is important for us to stress the meal times as well as other times in order that they may feel comfortable in theor routine.Children are creatures of routine.A good routine will keep them happy and chirpy.If the routine varies day by day,they can become disoriented and not know what to do next.They like to know what to do next so that they feel more "in charge".
