Sometime between the ages of 18 and 24 months, most children will go through a phase when they are very specific about what they want to eat. You may be worried because your toddler only wants to eat breakfast cereal, but to your child, it’s a way of asserting their independence, and getting to eat foods that they love.
Many parents are worried that their children will become malnourished when they spend a week at a time only eating one food. The truth is that that’s very unlikely to happen. It’s best rather to ignore the issue than to turn meal times into a battle.
Try giving your child a multivitamin designed for kids every day, or take your child with you to the supermarket, and let him help to prepare different foods. Kids this age are far more likely to be willing to try new foods if they’ve had a hand in preparing them.
Whatever you do, don’t panic. As long as your child is eating something, you should find that they become bored with one type of food after a while, and move onto something else.
Many parents are worried that their children will become malnourished when they spend a week at a time only eating one food. The truth is that that’s very unlikely to happen. It’s best rather to ignore the issue than to turn meal times into a battle.
Try giving your child a multivitamin designed for kids every day, or take your child with you to the supermarket, and let him help to prepare different foods. Kids this age are far more likely to be willing to try new foods if they’ve had a hand in preparing them.
Whatever you do, don’t panic. As long as your child is eating something, you should find that they become bored with one type of food after a while, and move onto something else.
