Capricious children at the table: rules for managing meals
Childish whim: motivated or an expression of pure rebellion?
Children who tend to become capricious in moments dedicated to meals are probably also those who are not hungry, who do not like the taste of what you are offering them or, simply, are tired, sleepy, or want to do something else. You certainly can't let your child choose the time to eat themselves, so here are some simple rules to follow that can help manage meals with the most capricious children.
First of all, you need to try to identify why your baby insists on having tantrums and not wanting to eat. You have to check that there is maybe some gum inflammation or some sagging tooth that hurts him, which could make the meal an unpleasant and painful moment.
Also make sure that she has no stomach ache and that the time interval since the last meal is reasonable and adequate.
Once you have avoided these possibilities, you will have the certainty that your child is a little rebel who does not want to submit to adult rules, so arm yourself with patience and cunning.
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Children are intuitive unconsciously despite their small age and their lack of social experience, but this does not exempt them from being able to unconsciously interpret a compliant gesture and a possible surrender in the face of his whims. It is precisely on this that you will have to work by letting him understand, from the behavior and from the words, that you will not be willing to give up for any reason and that he will not have won it at all. The reverse subliminal message will cause your child to perpetuate the pretensions and tantrums until he gets what he wants, just by simple personal victory. And then maybe he'll have a tantrum to eat.
Whims send the child into apnea: no panic
Many children, when they have tantrums, can result in an almost violent attitude and to such an extent that it sends them into a real state of apnea that makes them red first and then purple in the face. Although the scene is not at all soothing, you will not have to panic and give in, because this reaction disappears spontaneously within a few minutes, the same ones your child will need to understand that you are not willing to play his games. .
Rather, you can take advantage of the moment to cuddle him and talk to him lovingly in a soft and sweet tone, so as to make him understand that you are not his enemy, but always his tender mother.
Also remember that if, regardless of this warning, you are unable to sustain the image of your baby in apnea affective spasm, blow his eyes suddenly to help him stop promptly.
Turn the meal into a fun time
When the road starts to go downhill and your communication with your child has improved, you can trigger unconscious association mechanisms that make the child experience mealtime as a fun play time. You can always use the airplane technique to take him, but it would be more useful to set up a small playground around him, which distracts him from every single turn.
