Are your mealtimes a constant battle?

How DO you get your picky children to eat?

Well, the first thing you need to do as a parent is RELAX. Your anxieties over food issues are only making things worse! This does not mean you let your child get away with being picky - but you do need to stop getting worked up over the issue.

Being a picky eater is a form of expression (an irritating one admittedly). Let your child express themselves, but under no circumstances give into them! In your mind set the rules and boundaries - agree them with your partner out of earshot if need be, and stick to the rules yourself.

Remember: children will never voluntarily starve themselves!

So how DO you combat picky eating? Try these simple tips:

1) Try to eat as a family for as many meals as possible - and the SAME meals.
This encourages good eating behaviour, as you set an example, and associates meals with family time.

2) Keep plates and portions small so they have a sense of achievement when they have finished.
As they grow children's appetites wax and wane and their decision to be selective over what they eat usually only occurs when their appetite is at its lowest. When you know their appetite is small dish them up a really small portion so they can still finish it. (Bear in mind sometimes this can be 1 tsp of food!)

3) Ignore all but the worst table manners.
Rule of thumb should be: if they are eating - it doesn't matter how they are doing it, unless they are doing something which is totally unacceptable. Ignore what you can and make only a few rules over table manners that they are expected to keep.

4) Reward good behaviour, ignore bad.
If they eat praise them, if they don't simply ignore it.

5) Don't offer the food more than once.
If they don't eat, simply take it away and don't offer a replacement. They soon learn to eat what you give them, though it sometimes takes time with the most stubborn child!

6) Cut out ALL snacks.
If they snack between meals then it is hardly surprising they aren't hungry enough to want to try something new. If your child really can't last until the next meal (perhaps because they've refused the last) then dish the next one up early. It reinforces the importance of meals, rather than snacks, though sometimes it means you all end up eating your main meal at 3pm!

7) Use bribery - but do it well.
Parents who say they don't bribe - lie! But when it comes to food matters you need to make

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