Eating and emotions are so closely united; that food and love mean many times the same thing. Parents give their children a sweet or ice cream as a sign of affection, or a chocolate bar to each as a sign of love. Sometimes there are encounters between food and feelings; for example, when someone is so excited or upset that they lose their appetite.

However, although the feelings so easily influence the eating, this is, in fact, a very basic habit that is formed when children are still very small: the way of eating is established for the rest of the life of the person. Naturally, it is possible to have both bad and good habits, and in these Post series, we will discuss how bad habits begin, what to do with them and how to prevent them.

Perhaps one of the most frustrating things parents have to face is the time when a child does not eat "correctly". Maybe the child is very fussy, or very gluttonous, or his manners in the mess are so bad that food is a mess. Whatever the problem, the time of the meal has been wasted and all the effort spent preparing the meal seems a waste of time and effort. What is especially weird; It is to bother with a child at mealtime, as this can make things worse, while ignoring the problem will not improve them. In any case, things that can be extremely disconcerting.

This post is not going to deal particularly with difficult or restless children. It will be about "normal" children and the daily problems of eating that, although they are not major problems, take up a lot of their time and energy, and may be a big problem if they are allowed to continue.

Did you know that many of the food problems of adults go back to early childhood??

For this reason, it is better to resolve things at the beginning instead of waiting and hoping for the best. Try not to worry too much about the food problems that your child may start to have Worry will hinder your own appetite!. It's like having a boss who gets angry at not seeing a job well done; Well, he is right to bother, the bad time is the one who passes it. This is how a child feels when he sees that his father is worried when he sees that he does not eat. In any case, there are many things that can be done and the body has an extraordinary way of adjusting to incorrect food intake. Only in extreme cases can food problems affect health.

You may wonder why parents have to learn about children's eating? Is not it better to follow your own instinct and act spontaneously? This way of being able to approach the question is effective for many parents, but nowadays it seems that we trust less in the instinct, perhaps because we are educating our children following too much our intellect. Maybe there are too many tips, too many radio and television programs (which I'm not saying is bad, the bad thing is knowing and not putting the knowledge to work) on how to educate children.

Another factor is that now parents have to face themselves, much more than before, with the care of their children. Even in many of the families the two members of the couple work (approximately 60% of the families with school-age children). These two factors make life more difficult for parents and make them have less time to solve all the problems that may arise.

In recent years; Thanks to technology there have been great advances in the compression of food and eating. The reasons why some children are so manic and others so fat and what can be done about it. But caring for children is so easily influenced by fashions that parents often follow the latest trends without knowing the evidence that supports them. Unfortunately, it is not easy to have up-to-date information, because it is published in different scientific journals and even then the investigations are often contradictory. Research on allergies to certain foods and on problematic behaviors is proof of this.

You may see that I sometimes adopt a fairly firm stance that can make your children angry; but, if you read this whole series carefully, you will discover that there is always a good reason to have a strong hand. Please remember that being affectionate and forgiving are not the same thing. In fact, most problems occur when parents give up (to be able to be calm) more than for any other reason. It is not at all easy to keep what has been said and do everything that is believed correct. Children acquire a lot of security and well-being when their parents are able to stand firm and set clear limits to their behavior in a coherent and loving way, of course, the training is exercised over time and with the daily practice of day to day. In fact, this is a good way to show the love you feel for your child.

When we talk about the care of the child, it is not about the right or wrong, but it is about finding a compromise between the diverse demands of family life. For that reason it is impossible (to do well) at all times, and sometimes this makes parents feel guilty. In fact, it is common for parents to feel guilty for not always doing what is best for their child.

If you are not sure of your own ideas, and have some reservations about what I have written, I would like you to follow my suggestions to the letter regardless of any questions you may have. The love that feels towards the son what makes being a father makes one feel so fulfilled and full of joy.

Next post First food problems, Date: 05/25/2018