Teaching your little one new things and good habits can be a beautiful journey full of learning and growth, for your child as well as for yourself. However, the journey can also be one that tests your patience more often than not and sometimes does not seem to yield the desired results as well. So what should a parent do in such situations? Well, here are our top three tips that could help you, as a parent, to potentially make sure that your little one is able to develop healthy eating habits without you having to work super hard for it.
Imitation:
It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. It may be so, but in this case, using the concept of imitation to help your toddler understand and mimic healthy eating behaviours when looking at what you eat could really prove to be a wonderful way in helping them develop healthier eating habits. Children tend to learn new things by mimicking whatever is going on around them all the time. This could very well be used as an amazing tool to help teach your little one new habits and good ones at that. Eat healthy foods like vegetables and fruits in front of your kid, and make sure he/she is able to see you eating them. This, in turn, would help encourage them to try the same food you are also eating.
Pretty as a picture:
Kids absolutely adore anything that they feel looks pretty, which is quite often, to be honest. Anything that is colourful or vibrant will easily be able to catch the attention of your little one in a jiffy without you having to do next to nothing to get him/her to like it. Same goes for what you want to feed your little one as well. To make sure that your munchkin does not end up creating a fuss about eating those greens and healthier food options, try to disguise them in a way that would appear appealing to your toddler. Use the beautiful greens of the broccoli or the brilliant reds of the carrots to beautify the food, ensuring that your little one willingly indulges in the dish.
Take them shopping:
Now here, when we say shopping, we essentially mean grocery shopping. Take the little ones with you when you do decide to shop for fresh fruits and veggies next time. Kids love exploring new places and when you decide to take them grocery shopping they might just start liking the beauty that these colourful and vibrant fruits and vegetables have to offer. Positive reinforcement is the key to helping your little one develop the right kind of habits that will, in turn, help the little one develop healthier food habits in the long run. Just have a little patience and you and your little cherub will do just fine!
