Article Link: http://www.exchangepress.com/article/working-with-families-around-nutritional-issues/5014542/
Early childhood is an exciting time of changes and anecdotes. I am sure there are few families that can't recall humorous stories pertaining to their child's eating experiences. Etched in my memory is the morning I ventured into the family room and heard my young son asking the VCR if it was hungry, and moments later I watched in horror as he fed the machine his sandwich. When asked why he did this, he replied that the mouth of the VCR looked hungry.Children's eating habits are learned in childhood and are influenced by family food practices. Families are responsible for the selection of foods young children consume. When considering food attitudes and preferences, it should be noted that a child's age also impacts upon his feeding likes and dislikes. For instance, food for infants often represents security and love, but for the toddler, food may reflect experimentation or a means to express frustration (Canadian Paediatric Society, 1999).
Eating is one of the fundamental needs of life, and for most children mealtimes are enjoyable. There are many kinds of children with a myriad of dietary differences. The paragraphs to follow will consider some of the ...