I’m sitting here tonight watching my little boy eat his dinner. I proudly watch as he sits at his little toddler table and chair set feeding himself rice with a plastic spoon. It’s hard to tell if he’s a righty or lefty as he alternates the spoon in his hands. He’s grown so much as a terrific 2-year old.
I sit and watch with a lot of thoughts on my mind. As many other young parents, I get concerned about whether he is eating well enough, if he’s getting proper nutrition and if I’m providing him with enough food options. Many times at meal time I begin to panic, wondering what would be the best choices for him, as they do get rather picky at this age. If there is anything I would spend a fortune on, it would be piece of mind about his food!
As he sits here and ceases eating to start playing with the food, I remember my grandmother particularly who would sit and watch me eat as a little girl in just the same way; well, except that she would have a switch in hand since I would never eat. I remember chewing food reluctantly and many times tearfully as my grandma watched me with scrutiny. Thinking over it now makes me wonder what was going through her mind as well. I can imagine her worry as she sat there, her desperate attempts to make me comply and the many prayers she prayed. Her intent was not to force me to eat meals that I did not enjoy but rather to ensure that I was healthy and grew strong.
“Okay, MM”, I say as I stop him from sprinkling rice through his fingers like sand and making it pour all over the table and floor. He falls to the floor and wails in protest.
Terrific.
Food is meant for nourishment and pleasure; may we and our children always enjoy it!
-Lyrics by tia 2012
You're so right. Food is so close to us and an expression of love to those around us. I have fond memories of my favorite nanny as a kid spending hours and playing games with me to cajole me to eat.
ReplyDeleteAs a young mom those memories helped me overcome times of frustration with my own toddlers when they would not eat as well. I have since learned not to make food such a big deal.
Toddlers need food only about the size of their fist to survive. They do need to eat as you eat rather than stuff from cans, so I recommend you blend your table food for them so that they can grow up used to your food.
Finally, it takes about 10 attempts at a new food for a child to begin to accept it, so don't get frustrated. Just keep offering them a little bit of the new food several times a week and they will soon start to enjoy it.
Thank you so much for your insight, Sade! Your recommendations will be useful for myself and other parents.
ReplyDeleteWe had an overzealous maid who would lock us in a room and hit us periodically till my siblings and I finished our meals. She didn't realize that the more she did that, the more I hated mealtimes.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right about the worry guardians and parents go through over food. In my case, portion size is a worry too. I don't want to underfeed my daughter (afraid that it may lead to an underweight child with health problems) at the same time, I don't want to overfeed her (afraid that may lead to an overweight child with health problems).
I have learnt that I can't leave it up to her to stop when she is full as there are too many variables in that equation. Sigh!
Thank you for your input, Natural Nigerian. Since our personal experiences shape how we feel about meal times, they teach us what to and not to do with our own children. Sounds like balance is key and exercise must be part of the equation. As a fairly new mom there's so much I'll be learning as time goes by and I'm so glad for other moms like you who don't mind sharing what they've learned too.
ReplyDelete