Children who have poor appetite and often refuse food
Doctors believe that refusing food on certain occasions is a normal stage in a child’s development. This transition period of the child is more difficult for the parent than for the child.
Babies at a turning point or transition to early childhood are often more picky and wayward when choosing food. Young children, despite increased activity, usually consume less food than would be appropriate for the child’s age. The reason is the fact that the child does not grow so fast, so he feels less need to eat. The second cause is the increased interest of the child in his own environment (because eating is the basic activity of the child in the first months of life). Taking a meal is an unwanted obstacle for older children in their quest for a new world of early childhood. The second year of a child’s life has long been characterized by an “age in the shadow of a sovereign” no “, ie a refusal to eat.” The child has a greater choice and the knowledge that he is holding something other than food in his small hands. That is why it can easily happen that a child eats peas one day, tomatoes with a big appetite on the second day and peas and tomatoes on the third day. A child can surprise a parent and an adult by tirelessly demanding only one meal at each meal and persistently refusing any substitution.
Many mothers already know that this kind of craving for a child is possible (so they stay calm and composed even when the child refuses to eat). Many complications with the diet of a small child can occur if mothers react differently from calm posture. This is a transient phenomenon that should not be given more importance or additional panic. The fact that a child refuses some food on a daily basis will not affect the child’s further development.
Refusing to feed a young child can in extraordinary cases be a way to attract the attention of a two-year-old child. It is sometimes the child’s unconscious desire to gain more attention. Then the child should be given more attention and tenderness before eating, so he will forget to refuse the meal.
Mood of any kind affects the child’s diet. The child feels when the mothers want to feed him quickly. Therefore, the child may refuse food temporarily or for a long time because he feels a lack of attention. Adult anxiety or nervousness affects a child’s diet. Patterns of pushing / refusing food can also be changes in the home, moving, the absence of one parent, or a new baby in the home. Then one should not force the child to eat because it only suppresses the child’s resistance. It is necessary to wait for the child’s adjustment to the new situation, which is usually achieved quickly. Lack of sleep, increased excitement, pre-meal activity may be factors in a child’s reduced desire to eat. And, a child’s illness. It is necessary to consult with doctors and pediatricians in case of any changes in the child’s diet.
There are some 10 rules (from pediatricians and educators for nutrition situations) when a baby enters early childhood:

1. Atmosphere-diet during the meal should be surrounded by a pleasant atmosphere without nervousness and anxiety. The mother or caregiver should be close to the child, which gives a feeling of security and love. Add something new to the children’s menu from time to time as soon as the child becomes aware that he is eating a variety of foods. One should not despair if the child refuses this new food. Please try again another day.
2. Children’s feeding equipment – it is always good to have children’s cutlery and a high chair that gives the child comfort. The height of the children’s chair should be the same as the height of the table. A children’s plate can be a small bowl and a spoon / fork with a short flat handle is a great accessory for “beginners”.
3. Small amounts of food in the baby’s plate because excessive amounts of food also suppress the child’s appetite. Food can always be put back in the bowl as needed.
4. The child should always be encouraged during meals – and the child should be helped if he gets tired. A child should be praised without comment if the child is a little dirty (or spreads food on a plate or clumsily handles a spoon / fork). The child should have the opportunity to gain self-confidence. It is wrong to constantly monitor every child’s movement because it only causes the child’s resistance.
5. A child should not eat if he/she does not want food firmly – and the child’s desire should be respected when he says that he does not need more food. Remove the food bowl after any child resistance to the food and without penalty for the child.
6. The meals of a small and an adult child are not the same. Or, if one child had a better appetite while another did not have such an appetite — and that is understandable. While one child eats everything quickly from the plate, another child may eat more slowly observing the environment. The child’s appetite varies which is not a problem unless the parent notices symptoms of some disease.
7. Don’t pay attention to possible children’s outbursts during meals – even when the child refuses to eat to attract the attention of adults.
8. Give instructions to the child without much talk and advice about the child’s behavior at the table. The child should be clean and tidy when sitting at the table and without pushing the plate if the food is not to your liking. You should not expect flawless behavior of the child. A child inevitably loses his appetite if an adult constantly warns him with an increased tone.
9. Adults and the elderly-children give great help to a small child – the child copies the behavior and words of adults.

10. Meals should be arranged so that the child eats with other family members – for a younger child, a pleasant atmosphere and a set time for breakfast, lunch, dinner are important. A child should not be completely neglected or in the center of attention if he/she eats with adults.