What should parents do if their child does not eat in kindergarten?

When they get a place in the nursery, the parents are happy, because now the child has a new step in an important stage of life, which is the very beginning of socialization in society and independence.

However, adults have no idea that attending kindergarten is not so easy. To do this, you need to go through many obstacles and experiences, ranging from adaptation of the garden and diseases, ending with a complete refusal to eat. However, something will resolve on its own, but when the baby does not eat, this problem must be solved immediately, because this will not only prevent full attendance at the nursery, but will also harm the baby’s health.

How does the child eat at home?

Parents must understand that if a child does not eat anything at home, then he will not do this in kindergarten either. Here you will need to look for the reason not in adaptation, but in the child himself. And there are several reasons:

1. Health problems. Such children are seen by a doctor and, if necessary, take special medications that increase appetite.

2. Snack between meals. Parents feed their baby with buns and bread, and then they wonder why their baby doesn’t eat lunch. Snacking is typical only for those children who are not overweight and still eat main meals.

3. Food selectivity. There are also picky people who eat what they like, but this is easy to fix. Parents should not give in and offer the same dish throughout the day.

If parents correct these shortcomings, then their baby will eat not only at home, but also in kindergarten.

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Breakfast protest

It is quite logical that if a child had breakfast at home and also ate a bun and a cookie on the way to kindergarten, he will not eat in kindergarten. Children's breakfast is generally a separate topic - in order for the baby to eat with appetite and breakfast to benefit, at least an hour should pass from the moment of awakening, and for some even more. So, if you want your baby to fully integrate into kindergarten mode, be patient and do not feed him before kindergarten.

What to do: another option - if it’s easier and calmer for you to feed your baby at home, agree with the teacher that you will bring your child after breakfast, or while the others are sitting at the table, yours will play. But not every kindergarten can agree to this option, and they have their own, quite compelling reasons.

Refuses to eat in kindergarten

When the baby eats well at home, but does not eat in the nursery, you need to look for another reason and solve it immediately. The reasons may be the following:

1. Unusual environment. The baby is not used to the new way of life and that is why he needs time to adapt. Parents should not leave their child in the garden for a long time; it is better to do this gradually, extending it for several hours.

2. Inability to hold a spoon. The baby has not learned to eat on his own, and he is still embarrassed by the teachers, so he does not allow himself to be fed. There are several options for teaching your child to eat. One of them is at home, the main thing is that mom doesn’t interfere. The child will ask for help, but when he is refused, and he is hungry, he will begin to try on his own. If this does not help, the baby will gradually adapt to the nursery and will begin to repeat after his peers and hold the spoon himself.

3. Manipulation of adults. The baby notices that if he doesn’t eat in the garden, then his mother quickly comes to him and takes him home. Therefore, he begins to use this feature constantly. You need to talk to your child and explain that the nursery is his responsibility, just like mom and dad’s job.

4. Other food. Previously, the baby ate pasta and sausages, but when he entered kindergarten, they began to force him to eat porridge, so he protests. Adults just need to change the menu and feed the child, as in kindergarten.

These reasons are easy to solve, and there are many useful tips for this.

Consultation for teachers “How to teach a child to eat in kindergarten”

Petrova Tatyana

Consultation for teachers “How to teach a child to eat in kindergarten”

Consultation for teachers

“How to teach a child to eat in kindergarten ”

“I won’t, I don’t want, I don’t like it!”

- children say through tears when it comes to eating in
kindergarten . Too often, educators have to deal with the reluctance of children to eat dishes prepared by experienced professional chefs. And the reason for this is not the cooks at all. The reason, perhaps, should be sought in the child’s .
Most often, the situation turns out to be banal simple - the fact is that homemade food is very different from the food that children are fed in kindergartens . It can be difficult for kids to switch from grandma's chicken breast chops to fish cutlets and a side dish of boiled carrots, and therefore they refuse to eat.

Some children only learn the taste of millet and oatmeal porridge, bean and pea soup kindergarten Such dishes simply are not prepared at home. Some children even develop a gag reflex to some dish. You can even compile statistics about what kind of food children eat in the garden , and what kind of food remains untouched for almost everyone.

In this case, it is worth having a conversation with the parents; if they are interested in the child eating at least something, they will listen.

Parents can be advised to include in the menu only those dishes that children eat in kindergarten , because in most cases, homemade food is very different from kindergarten food . If at one time a child eats borscht, casserole and jelly at home, then most likely he will eat it with pleasure in kindergarten . The method of cooking is also important. In kindergartens , food does not contain a large amount of seasonings, fats and various spices. Therefore, parents should prepare such food, especially since the abundance of herbs and spices does not have the best effect on the digestive system.

There are several other reasons why a child does not eat in kindergarten .

This may be a hidden protest against the teacher (whom he does not like, against peers (with whom the child cannot find a common language)

and even against parents
(who force
their child to go to kindergarten ) .
The reason may be simple stubbornness. The more you persuade a child , the more opposite the result; if you don’t pay attention, he starts eating .
One of the reasons may be imitation, when for some reason one of the children is allowed not to sit at the table.

Very often, parents in front of the child say that the child should not be forced to eat , which the child understands as approval of his poor appetite.

It happens that a child refuses to eat because the dish is unappetizing, for example, pea porridge or a stained tablecloth.

Examples of table setting and food decoration. (Presentation for consultation )

Under no circumstances should children focus their attention on their lack of appetite or talk about it in their presence. You should not beg, cajole or persuade to eat . It is necessary to influence the emotions of children, using encouragement, suggestion, example of peers, and gaming techniques.

But in the desire of the teacher and parents to feed the child, it is very important not to harm the child , not to cross the fine line when care turns into violence.

Should you force your child to eat ?

Parents try to feed the child the contents of the plate in any way: from the soft “For mom, for dad, for grandma. ” to the harsh “Until you eat everything, you won’t leave the table.” And if the hated porridge and cutlet are still eaten, mom and dad believe that the goal has been achieved and everything is in order. And then.

“The parents of six-year-old Andryusha came to the consultation in complete confusion ,” says child psychologist , candidate of psychological sciences Elena Anatolyevna Smirnova. — Their son recently ran away from home. He was quickly found and returned, but the boy snapped, cried and threatened to run away again.

The shocked parents could not understand anything. They swore and swore that they loved their child more than anything in the world, that they were kind to him, never raised their hands to him. But during a detailed conversation, one problem surfaced: from an early age Andryusha had a poor appetite, and he was forced to eat .

So family relationships turned out to be seriously damaged. taught these apparently reasonable and prosperous parents nothing A few years later they came back for a consultation with their second child . Protesting against parental pressure, the seven-year-old girl completely stopped obeying and hid her school grades. All this also turned out to be the result of many years of “war at the table.”

Of course, not all children are capable of open protest. The quiet, obedient girl, who was also constantly forced to eat , did not run away from home herself, but all the characters in her games did. Then she invented a fairy-tale land where homeless children-toys found a new home and lived in it without any adults at all.

This girl was forced to eat not only at home , but also in kindergarten , and then at school. When their entire first class filed into the cafeteria to have breakfast during the big break, the little girl’s teeth began to chatter - out of fear of another “food torture.” It seemed to those around her that the girl was simply frozen, and she was ashamed to tell anyone about what was really happening to her.

Doctors and psychologists already classify this condition as neurosis. Often, children who are force-fed exhibit other behavioral changes—they become overly stubborn, aggressive, or whiny.

Alas! Even if obvious alarming symptoms are not noticeable, violence cannot pass without leaving a mark on the child’s and his relationship with his parents. As he gets older, the child will most likely forgive mom and dad for their excessive zeal in matters of nutrition. But on a subconscious level, he will still remember that these people are capable of committing violence, regardless of his needs and feelings. And it will be very difficult to build truly close, trusting relationships in such a family.

There are also no health benefits from force feeding. Studies have shown that children who are force-fed subsequently suffer significantly more often from disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and thyroid gland, not to mention fears and neuroses.

In fact, the human body is a self-regulating system that can adapt well to a wide variety of conditions. One of these adaptive reactions is a decrease in appetite during illness, under severe stress, during a sudden change in environment, climate, etc. Forcing a child to eat at such moments means harming his health and preventing the body from adapting to a difficult situation.

In any case, educators in this matter must take an individual approach to each child , together with parents, identifying the cause of poor appetite and reluctance to eat .

Examples of game options.

"The Queen of the Table and the King"

.
The crown is given to the child who has eaten the best.
"Table of Honor"

This table should have a more elegant tablecloth and beautiful dishes.

Medal "For the Cleanest Plate"

Game "Restaurant"

Book reading. The child listens and forgets that he didn’t want porridge. It has been proven that while watching cartoons, a child eats more and eats what they give him.

You can agree with your child on a simple rule: “If you don’t feel like eating , you eat as many spoons as you are old.”

Tips for parents

Adults should not panic, everyone has gone through this and usually the adaptation period lasts 6 months. The main thing is not to refuse to attend a child care facility, because the baby needs social development, the sooner this happens, the better. And he won’t have to starve if his parents use a few tips:

1. Teach your baby to eat on his own.
2. Follow a routine appropriate to the kindergarten: walks, meals, sleep, etc.
3. Cook food like in the garden.
4. Do not force your baby to eat, so as not to cause aversion to food.
5. In the morning, without a snack, so as not to reduce your appetite.
6. Pick up after meals so that the child gets used to eating with his peers.
7. Do not focus on the problem so that the baby does not feel the parental worries.

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These tips will help your child eat in kindergarten without tantrums.

Psychological reasons why a child refuses to eat

Few children enjoy eating in the first days of their stay in kindergarten. First, he needs to get used to the new place and the unfamiliar people who surround him. In other words, adapt. Adaptation is one of the main reasons why a child refuses to eat. Parents should understand that a sudden change in environment is always stressful for the baby. The main causes of childhood stress in this case are as follows:

• Early rise. At home, the child could wake up when he had had enough sleep. At kindergarten he is forcibly woken up very early. It is clear that the child’s body and psyche must adapt to the new regime. Until this happens, the baby will be capricious and refuse to eat;
• There are many new toys in kindergarten that may be of interest to the baby. And until he “plays enough” with such toys, the child will most likely refuse to eat, believing that kindergarten breakfasts and lunches interfere with his play;
• Too many peers. At home, the baby mostly communicated only with his parents, brother or sister, grandparents, or two or three peers in the sandbox in the yard. In kindergarten, his social circle expanded significantly. Now he is surrounded by many peers. In the first days of his stay in kindergarten, the child will try to establish relationships with them and, as they say, find his place in the team. This is a complex psychological process that requires a lot of strength, and therefore the baby may refuse to eat;
• Usually, especially in the first days of being in kindergarten, it seems to the child that his mother has left and will never return. At the same time, no assurances that the mother will definitely pick him up in the evening have any effect on the baby. This is how the child's psyche works. It is clear that in this state the baby simply cannot eat properly;
• The child is used to listening only to his mother, and does not want to obey the teacher. For this reason, he may also refuse to eat in kindergarten;
• Being at home, the baby is used to being told a fairy tale, reading a book, or showing a cartoon before starting treatment. For obvious reasons, no one in kindergarten will do this especially for him. As a result, a child, without waiting for a fairy tale or favorite cartoon, may refuse to eat;
• By refusing to eat, the baby is thereby trying to manipulate his parents. He is well aware that refusing to eat will make his parents worry and worry, and they will try to pick him up as early as possible, or even not bring him to kindergarten at all. This manifestation of childish selfishness is far from the only one in this situation. Other selfish manifestations may be children's tantrums every morning, attempts to run after the mother when she leaves the child in kindergarten, etc.

This is just the main and most general list of psychological reasons why a baby may refuse to eat. Since every child is an individual, each child may have individual reasons for refusal. Parents must notify educators about their child’s individual character traits. As for educators, accordingly, they are obliged to take into account this important parental information and try, as far as possible, to take it into account in the process of communicating with the child.

Other reasons why a child may be food insecure

In addition to psychological issues and nuances, children may remain hungry in kindergarten for other reasons. Here are just the most common of these reasons:

• The child is very picky about food and does not like kindergarten dishes. This also includes the fact that the child is simply afraid to try food that is unfamiliar to him. If the baby is 2-3 years old, then due to his age he has not yet developed any food preferences. In this case, after a few days he will get used to the new dishes. If a child first entered kindergarten at the age of 4-5, then it will take longer and harder for him to get used to unfamiliar food;
• By refusing to eat, the child thus expresses protest. Such a child’s “rebellion” usually happens in several cases: the child recently entered kindergarten, his teacher, to whom he had managed to get used, changed, he was transferred to another group, he was not allowed to play with his favorite toy, etc.;
• The baby turns away from food because he doesn’t feel well: he has a cold, a stomach ache, a loose tooth, etc.;
• The child has a congenital allergy to certain foods. Parents must warn teachers about this before sending their child to kindergarten;
• The baby eats little due to his congenital characteristics, and therefore is not able to eat everything that is offered to him in kindergarten. This is especially true for children who are small in height and weight, as well as have a calm character;
• Being at home, the child got used to a different diet than in kindergarten. In other words, in kindergarten he doesn’t want to eat when it’s offered to him, and he wants to eat when it’s impossible. This also includes the fact that at home the baby is fed not according to a schedule, but when he asks or when it is more convenient for the parents;
• The child does not know how to feed himself with a spoon. Before enrolling a child in kindergarten, parents must teach him how to use a spoon and other cutlery. If for some reason this was not done, then the baby will almost certainly go hungry in kindergarten. It may happen that the teacher, busy with other children, simply does not pay attention to the incompetent baby in order to feed him;
• The child is fed before being taken to kindergarten. It is clear that in this case the baby is unlikely to eat kindergarten dishes. In the same way, he will not eat when his parents fill his pockets with cookies and candies “for a snack”;
• The child does not eat well because the time of year affects him. It is known that children grow faster in summer than in winter, and therefore they eat with greater appetite in summer, since they need more energy for growth;
• The baby is overly susceptible to natural biorhythms. Exposure to natural biorhythms is a feature of many people, both adults and children. For this reason, some people (including children) may not feel hungry in the morning or evening, or at this time they may only eat certain foods, and not everything that is offered to them;
• The child may not be hungry due to his calm nature and, as a result, low physical activity;
• The process associated with eating causes unpleasant associations in the baby. This may be in cases where at home he is often scolded for not knowing how to behave at the table, eating poorly, dropping food on the table or floor, etc. In this case, in the garden the child will also implicitly expect strict comments and reproaches, and, accordingly, eat little;
• The baby may not eat well due to restlessness and curiosity. Fidgety children cannot sit at the table for a long time, they are often distracted, play pranks, as they say, and look into other people’s plates. Because of this, they often remain hungry not only themselves, but also prevent others from eating;
• It may also happen that the little one just doesn’t get enough of kindergarten food. The reasons for this may be different: low-calorie or poorly prepared food, small portions, etc.;

Again, it should be noted once again that these are not all the reasons why children may refuse to eat in kindergarten. A lot depends on the psychology, character and physical characteristics of each individual baby.

We also read: Memo to parents: 20 reasons why a child does not eat in kindergarten, and what to do about it (part 1)

How to teach a child to go to kindergarten if he cries

Children's tears are the main alarm signal for parents.
After all, it seems impossible to leave a sobbing child with the teacher and calmly go to work. There may be several reasons for tears in this case, and it is important for parents to eliminate each of them

Change of environment and daily routine. Finding yourself in a new atmosphere is already unusual and alarming for a baby. In addition, he is surrounded by friendly, but still strangers. Against this background, the baby needs to get used to discipline, which is not so important at home. The daily routine is changing: you need to eat at a set time, and not when you want. You need to go to bed by the hour. These gentle but insistent demands from teachers can cause violent protest, and along with it, a reluctance to attend kindergarten and tears every morning. In this situation, parents need to bring the home daily routine as close as possible to the kindergarten one. It is ideal to accustom your baby to it several months before visiting the garden. And if the baby already goes to nursery, then on weekends you cannot deviate from the routine. Morning awakenings, breakfast, snacks, and naps should be done at a clearly set time.

Excess of impressions. Most parents talk about how interesting it is in kindergarten. And so it is. But the emotions that the baby experiences are not always positive. He may be angry with others and upset. And against the backdrop of an abundance of emotions (both positive and negative), overstrain of the nervous system can develop. This makes the baby capricious, nervous, and whiny. In order not to aggravate the load on the nervous system during the period of adaptation in kindergarten, parents need to reduce emotional stress at home as much as possible. The psychological climate in the family should be calm and positive. Additional entertainment (active games, going to the cinema and visiting, watching cartoons) should be minimized or completely eliminated.

Lack of self-care skills. Going to the toilet, washing hands, undressing and dressing, lacing shoes and tying a scarf - the baby will have to do all this on his own

And if something doesn’t work out for him, he can worry and cry. At home, it is important to teach your baby to be independent. Encourage any manifestation of it

Teach him to do what he doesn’t know how to do yet, and be sure to praise him for success.

Psychological unpreparedness. Children who experience a lack of emotional communication with their mother adapt more difficultly and worse to new conditions. Pay as much attention to the baby as possible, ask how his day was. Ask specific questions so that your child sees your interest in his life in kindergarten

The child does not eat in kindergarten: getting used to breakfast

How to make this transition from homemade cutlets to garden soufflés? We feel sorry for our baby, especially if he is the only one. It’s hard to imagine that he won’t be able to swallow oatmeal in the morning, will ignore his second breakfast in the form of a banana and refuse vegetable soup. Some mothers even see their baby fainting from hunger. That’s why they get up early to not only have time to put on makeup before work, but also to prepare something tasty for their favorite capricious person. And then they rush at full speed with a well-fed child to kindergarten, apologizing a thousand times for being late and promising that this will not happen again. Of course, in this case there can be no question of the child sitting down with his peers at the table. We made it to class - and okay.

Parents must understand that this path is wrong, explains Irina Voloshina. “You follow the lead of your own child, making life difficult for both him and yourself. You shouldn’t give in to the manipulations of the little cunning guy. Once he feels that he has been given in, he will learn to manipulate you. If the kindergarten is located close to the house, then the baby will not have time to get hungry before he washes himself, gets dressed and gets to his group. It is during this time that the baby will develop a good appetite. If you have to walk or drive a long time to get to kindergarten, then it is better to treat the child with kefir in the morning or give him some fruit. In any case, such a forced snack will not take much time. After all, discipline is discipline. The sooner you teach your baby to follow a routine, the easier it will be for him later in life.