THE DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITY: Are you one of those parents that feels like your child won’t eat their food & that mealtime has become a battle of how to get them to just eat what they are served? I know I’ve been there...😵‍💫 If you are experiencing this, I want you to reframe what the roles look like during meal time. The division of responsibility (by the incredible dietician Ellyn Satter) focuses on encouraging YOU to take leadership with what, when and where YOU choose to feed your child. Simply put, it’s not your job to force your child to eat-rather it’s to offer nutritious foods at the appropriate times based on their age. Your child’s job is to do the eating, whether it happens (fuck ya!) or not (😩). When your child is first starting to eat we need to remember that they are learning and eating takes practice. Some tips to keep in your back pocket when mealtime is feeling wack: •offer at least 1 food you know they will like •sit together and eat, preferably the same foods & model good eating habits •keep portions small and allow your child to tell you if they want more, when the plate is filled with too much food this can be overwhelming •cook part of the meal with your child (for toddlers) having them involved encourages more curiosity and openness to the meal •don’t get hung up on each meal, some meals they may be hungrier than others, look at the whole day to ensure they are receiving enough nutrients •use words like menu~on today’s menu we are having xyz, giving your (toddler) a peek into what they are having prepares them, if you are met with resistance you can say, that’s what’s on the menu, you don’t have to eat it, but this is what I am serving. If a request for something else is made~try saying ooo that’s a great idea, I’ll try to cook that for another meal! Will you help me make it then? •This is the most important tip to keep you from losing your mind and applies to any age. YOU provide (what,where,when) and your CHILD decides whether to eat it or not. Please share any other tips that might work for your family. We could all use tools to keep our cool when mealtime becomes a battle field. #peachgrove