Should we follow a very strict shedule to feed our children. How much and how often to feed

A request made by a hubber inspired me to write this hub. Request was " how to feed a child refusing to eat?. Eating habits keep changing with growing age. We'll be back to the differing eating habits. Let us first discuss the first question i.e. "how to feed ..... to eat". I have seen several mothers adhering to a very strict time shedulee for feeding their children.

8.00 AM - Breakfast

12.00 Noon - Lunch

4.00PM -Tiffin

8.00 PM -Dinner

To me this appear a good schedule but timings may differ location to location.

Consequent upon the strict schedule most of the children begin to hate food. I know consequences of forced feeding of children by their parents and also feeding them out of desire. One disadvantage I have clearly observed with forced and timely feeding and that is children develop a disliking to meal. Also never serve them more than their desire. It is always good if you include a variety of dishes in small quantities. Liking and dislikings very from person to person so your child may not like a particular dish so never force to eat the whole quantity of food you have served to them. I found most of the children those were forced to eat whatever was served to them, developed a disliking to eating food. Some children may have apetite for more and quantity of diet will also very from individual to individual. So what may be done to avert disliking. Simple answer to question is: let them eat whatever they like. But you have to make it a balanced diet. Some of the children may have likings to fast food. Although fast foods are not good for health but let them eat fast food infrequently. There may be several tricks to feed a child who never eats happily. Play a video, or tell a story or serve the dish he or she likes most.

Another bad habbit I observed in some mothers that they always serve food in huge quantities. Its better to serve in small quantitites. Feeding several times in small quantities is always better than feeding more quantities in less servings.

Never get worried if yur child dislike vegetables or a particular dish. Eating habbits keep changing with age.

So to conclude never force your child to eat more, give him a balanced diet depending on liking and dislikings of the child, maintain a flexibility in feeding schedule. Be sure your child will be healthy and will not hate food.

I would like to emphasize one more aspect of feeding here. Mothers should consider to provide nutritionally balanced food to their babies. Lot of processed food items having minimum quantities of all essential ingredients like vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrate and fat. It should be well understood by parents that growing babies require all these essentials in their food. Its not wise to suggest a particular brand but attention should be paid to ingredients written on food packs. These food materials mainly available as concentrate should be given to kids by mixing them with water or milk. Balanced food is not only essential for physical growth but also important for mental development.