When New Means No: Picky Eating as a Normal Toddler Phase.

[elleng]

Parents can help children navigate it by avoiding a battle of wills.

'It’s normal for toddlers to go through a picky eating phase, but experts say parents can help them learn to handle new sensations and avoid a battle of wills.

Hildy S. Lipner, chief of pediatric speech pathology at Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital in Hackensack, N.J., said that by the time she sees children with picky eating problems, they are usually between 18 months and 3 years old and already have their patterns well established. And while those patterns reflect children’s different temperaments, they may also go back to the way parents and children navigated that normally picky toddler phase.

Establishing Habits
So at 6 months or so, which is when the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends introducing solid foods into a baby’s diet, parents should be aware that babies are already establishing habits. “The best time to transition kids as you go up the textural pyramid is when their oral motor development is ready for the next transition,” Ms. Lipner said.'>>>

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/04/well/family/picky-eaters-toddlers-parenting.html?

[pansypoo53219]

1. NO! i am NOT eating what i do not want!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. Parents need to understand that a young child's pickiness

is actually an evolutionary good thing.

Also, not a scientific survey, but I have noticed that parents who claim their children eat everything are usually not right about that.

Years ago I had a child development book by Penelope Leach, who used to be a big name in the field. In it she analyzed the typical diet of about four or five different toddlers whose parents had come to her expressing grave concern that the kids weren't eating right. All but one was perfectly fine, and the one that wasn't (kid would only eat white bread with butter, as I recall) Leach realized that this was simply a stage the child was going through, and soon enough would be eating other things.

Most adults themselves are far pickier than they realize. Especially vegetarians and vegans. Not to mention that even the omnivores among us have strong likes and dislikes. Then there's the inclination in this country to assign magical powers to certain foods, accompanied by completely unrealistic claims about how phenomenally good or bad one particular food is.