How to Feed a Fussy Baby

Feeding a fussy baby can be the most distressing of all the jobs a mother has to go through. Many children are fussy since the time they begin to have their top feed. This fussiness can continue into their teens and even when they are adults. This problem should be checked as soon as it becomes apparent otherwise, it becomes increasingly difficult to handle. When the baby is small, all he can do is maybe spit out the food or purse his lips tight or turn his face away. But as he grows he will throw the bowl away raise tantrums and what not.

Before we analyze how to feed a fussy baby it is important to know why babies/children fuss. One might immediately respond saying that they don't like the taste of that food. But the problem is deeper than what it seems. Some of the reasons are:

- They have lost their appetite for food served by a particular person in a particular plate because of over urging by that person.
- Too much of discipline takes away their appetite.
- Too much of distraction at mealtimes takes away their sensibility to taste, texture and flavor of the food.
- They are unhappy or feel neglected. Refusing food gets the entire world to pet them and they love all that attention.

Some Do's and Don'ts for feeding a fussy baby
Do's

Make the activity of eating the food enjoyable. Make the child pay attention to what he/she is eating and observe its taste, flavor and texture. Let the child touch the food, play with the food. Use different colored and shaped plates and bowls. Serve a variety of items at a time like spoonfuls of two cooked vegetables, some pieces of bread, a spoonful of rice , some semi liquid dal or sauce, some raw veggies. Try to make up a mixture of various colors like red tomatoes, green spinach, white rice with bits of orange carrots and potatoes fried golden yellow, some sprouted beans. Give the child different kinds of spoons and forks to use while eating.

Make the child sit with all the family members when they eat. Family meal times can be adjusted to the child's meal times. If family, siblings or friends are not available to give him company, use the child's dolls and teddy bears instead. Give them each a bowl of some breadcrumbs or slices of food that the child also has been served. Show the child what you are eating and ask him to feed you some of what is in his plate. Show that you are also enjoying your food.

Use a cool and calm tone. Do not force him to eat, instead, place the food in front of him and pretend that you are not interested. You eat your food and show him that you are enjoying it. Ask him about what is in his plate. Create stories about the food that is in the plate. It could be the story of how a farmer grew that rice or how interesting it was to fry that egg. Make every morsel something special. Talk to him /her a lot and cuddle him . He should look forward to mealtimes.

Don'ts
Don't feed him/her while watching television.
Many parents find it is easy to feed a fussy baby when he/she is involved in some other activity. This disturbs the natural order of mealtimes -- their sense of hunger, flavor, taste, texture and satisfaction.
Don't isolate the child. Don't make him/her feel that he is being pressurized to do your bidding.
Don't use a commanding or disciplining tone. This increases the child's defenses and he resists eating all the more. Do not reveal your distress.