Your Preschooler's Eating Style

Does your preschooler like to separate all the foods on her plate

? Does she eat fast, or take her time? Does she prefer a big meal in the morning and ignore her food at night? Every child has a personal eating style that will change over time. As your little one develops her own eating habits and preferences, she is learning to express her individuality through one of the few things in her life she is able to control. These eating quirks can range from amusing to thoroughly frustrating for parents.

Don't Let My Food touch!

A common preschool quirk, many parents have encountered this eating style. All of the foods on the plate must be carefully separated, and any overlap will be met with what seems to a parent to be a vast over-reaction. Luckily, this particular insistence on food segregation will pass in time. In the meantime, humor your little one with a plate that offers compartments to keep all of her foods in their own space.

Although it may seem like very strange behavior, it's nothing to worry about. Your child is merely taking control over her environment in whatever small ways she can as she grows and becomes more independent.

The Slowest (or Fastest) Eater in Town

Some preschoolers seem to take forever to finish a meal. It might be because they don't like what's on the plate, or because they just aren't that hungry. In most cases, though, it's simply a personality trait beginning to emerge. You probably have a child on your hands who likes to take his time about other things as well. Make sure there isn't another reason for slow eating, however, such as distractions. Don't have the TV on during meal times, and try to keep your child focused on the meal to avoid spending ages at the table.

On the on flip side, some kids seem to eat so fast you can't serve the baby food quickly enough. Again, it's probably just a personality trait, or the result of a kid who has way too much to do to waste time at the table. Anxious to get back to playing and having fun, some preschoolers wolf their food down at record speeds. This is one to be cautious of, however. Eating too fast can cause choking or indigestion. Try to get your child to slow down and eat at a more reasonable pace.

Starving in the Morning, Not Interested at Night

This one might come in various forms, from a kid who eats a great lunch and hardly any breakfast to a kid who prefers dinner. Most preschoolers have a time of day when they are most hungry and interested in eating, and it's different from child to child. Don't worry, as long as your child is getting enough nutrition overall, this eating style isn't a problem. Try to make your child's favorite meal as packed with nutrition as possible, and serve up filling foods that he doesn't have to eat a lot of to get good nutrients from at the meals he finds less interesting.

Whatever your preschooler's eating style, be prepared for it to change and be replaced by new, and possibly even harder to understand habits! Most children go through several eating phases from the time they start solid foods, so even if he's frustrating you now, it will soon change.

by: EeLynn Lee

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