You may be familiar with the idea of forcing children to eat. Many people have memories of staying at their dinner table until they finished their food or even being punished for not cleaning their plates.
This has been a common practice for years. Parents often use this strategy to make sure their children are eating enough. However, doctors and parents have questioned if this is the best way to approach mealtimes.
Keep reading to learn more about forcing your child to eat and why this practice can be harmful. Youโll also get tips about alternative ways to encourage your child to eat.
Forcing your Child to Eat
Forcing a child to eat can take many forms. This may make a child finish their plate before they are allowed to leave the table or engage in other activities.
Some parents may also try to bribe or persuade their children to eat more by getting them to finish all the food on their plates. Parents may also make it a rule for their children to clean their plates and establish consequences if they donโt.
Why is this Harmful?
While parents are usually trying to ensure their children get the nutrition they need, forcing children to eat can be harmful. A child isnโt usually trying to be disrespectful or rebellious if they donโt clear their plate.
Like anyone else, children should listen to their bodies and stop eating when theyโre full. Parents must recognize and respect this.
Forcing children to eat can lead to long-term consequences. People mayย like food lessย after being forced to eat as a child.ย People may also overeatย because they felt pressure to eat more than they needed growing up.
Oneย studyย by the University of Michigan researchers found that forcing kids to eat can also cause tension in parent-child relationships. This may be because kids didnโt feel heard by their parents and started to resent them for forcing them to eat.
Other Ways to Approach Eating
There are alternative ways to approach mealtimes rather than forcing children to eat. Itโs essential to listen to your children and give them the space to listen to their bodies. Here are some healthy ways to approach eating.
Focus on Your Children
Getting caught up in your feelings when approaching mealtimes can be easy. You may feel worried about your childrenโs eating habits if it seems like they are eating too little. Thus, you may resort to forcing them to eat so you feel less worried.
However, itโs important to remember that children get full, just like adults. There also may be other factors. Maybe theyโre tired or distracted by other things.
They may have had a recent snack and donโt need to eat again. If theyโre not in the mood to eat at mealtime, put their food in the fridge so they can return to it when theyโre ready.
Reevaluate Portion Sizes
Part of the reason children arenโt clearing their plates may be because the portion sizes are too big. If a child consistently isn’t finishing their food, you may want to try putting less food on their plate. If portions are too big, forcing children to finish their food could cause overeating.
Trust their Bodies
Itโs important to trust your childrenโs bodies. They know when theyโre full, and itโs better to reinforce that they know what is best for their bodies.
As a parent, you should trust that your children are full if they say they arenโt hungry. This is a good way for children to practice listening to their bodies so they can have the best well-being in the future.
Consult Your Doctor if Youโre Concerned About Your Childโs Health
If your child isnโt clearing their plate, it is probably not impactingย their nutrition. However, consult your doctor if you are genuinely concerned that your childโs lack of eating is related to a more serious health problem.
They will be able to tell you if they think your childโs lack of eating is a problem. They also may be able to make other healthy suggestions for approaching your childโs eating habits.
Donโt Force Your Child to Eat
The bottom line is forcing your child to eat is unhealthy. It can cause consequences later in life for a personโs relationship with food and the relationship between a parent and child. Itโs important to remember to focus on your child and trust their bodies when they say that they are full.
Check out more parenting tips and ideas for family fun on our Support for Stepdads blog