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The biggest problem with "picky eaters" is the people who label them such. We feel as parents that in order to be good parents we have to govern every inch of our child's life. In doing so we squash there innate ability to have an inner voice. We inadvertently teach them to disconnect from their inner knowingness and to have blind faith in what we say. We do this with the most misguided of best intentions, because it is what we know and what we have been taught. And as it is with all bad habits this one is equally as difficult to break.
Parents, trust your little ones. Their bodies know what they need and what they should avoid. This is not to say the they should be eating junk all day. Set a good example. Fill your home with healthy choices and let them decide. Include them in shopping for and preparing of meals, and introduce a vitamin supplement that gives their diet a nutritional back bone. Do some research. Don't assume that what you know about nutrition is accurate or applicable to children. A child's nutritional needs are completely different from an adult's. Try not to bark orders as to what they should and should not eat. Explain why it is important to eat healthy and give them examples that they can relate to for both good and bad eating habits. Most importantly surround the experience with joy and laughter so that whatever they eat it will nourish their souls as well as their bodies.

Learn more about this author, Yasemin Wasserman.
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