Healthy upbringing (1-3 years)

Your child’s early years are crucial to the development of eating habits. So you can already help form the basis for the later eating behavior of your child. But what influence do you have as a parent or caregiver? 

You decide what and when your child eats, your child determines how much he eats

If you force your child to eat, he may be overeating convertible car seats for small cars. If he eats too much often, it can lead to obesity. In addition, your child learns not to listen to his feeling of being full when you force the food. That too can eventually lead to obesity.

Healthy eating with fruit and vegetables is important for a growing child. Do not punish your child if he does not eat his food, for example by not giving dessert. Punishment can also cause your child to associate a negative feeling with healthy eating. In other words: the plate does not have to be empty.

Don’t worry if your child is eating a little worse for once or for a while. Just keep trying. Also read our pages about the lust-me-not phase. And remember, a child who is growing and alive is getting enough. If you are not comfortable with it, discuss your concerns at the clinic.

Don’t prohibit anything, but set limits

In fact, in order to encourage healthy eating behavior in your child compact convertible car seat, it is best to exercise some degree of control, but not impose massive restrictions either. For example, prohibiting food can make your child want to eat it. But letting children choose what they want completely free can, in turn, make them more likely to make unhealthy choices.

An example: completely forbidding candy and soft drinks and allowing your child to get their own candy and soft drinks from the cupboard is counterproductive. But what can you do? Don’t prohibit sweets and soft drinks, but give them at regular times and not too much. Read more about what you can give in between.

Provide regular eating and drinking times

Regular eating times teach your child not to eat and drink all day long. For example, keep to: breakfast – in between moments – lunch – in between moments hot meal at set times. See what a daily menu can look like. Do not schedule in-between moment’s right before a meal. And do not give more than 4 times something in between. This is bad for the teeth and can disrupt the appetite for the main meals. Also, make sure you eat on time, and not when it is actually time for a nap or to go to sleep. If your child is too tired, he has no attention and no appetite. Regular eating times teach your child not to eat and drink all day long. 

Eat at the table

Make sure you eat the main meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) with everyone who is there at the time as much as possible. Eating at the table is good for the general development and health of your child. And by eating at the table your child learns: now is the time to eat something. It is also important that he sees you eating with taste, which makes it more attractive for him to try new flavors.