PICKY eaters can make meal times a bit of a drag, especially when you've tried everything to get them to try new foods.
But apparently having fussy tots is completely normal, and avoiding some common mistakes is the key to a successful mealtime.
Emma Hubbard is a Paediatric occupational therapist and she revealed the major mistakes parents always make when dealing with picky eaters.
She said: "Picky eating can be an extremely stressful experience for both you and your little one.
"When they simply refuse to eat anything but the smallest selection of foods, it’s common to simply run out of ideas for what to try next."
She added: "Picky eating is a normal part of development and all children will go through it to some degree, even the best eaters eventually go through a period of fussiness and food refusal."
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Don't use bribes
It might be tempting to bribe your little one to eat vegetables with the promise of a sweet treat afterwards, but this gives the totally wrong message.
According to the pro, "This decreases your child's preference for that new food because it reinforces their idea that the new food is unpleasant and they need to get a reward for eating it."
Avoid putting pressure on them
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Whether it's pressuring them to finish the full meal or getting them to try new food, it almost never helps.
Although this method might work in the moment it does nothing in the long run, Emma explaied.
"It actually makes fussy eating worse […] they become anxious and stressed around meal time," she said.
Don't hide new food in their favourite meal
"New food should never be hidden in your child's favourite food," Emma said.
She explained that your tot will almost always notice that something is different with their favourite grub and might reject the new food as well as their favourite food.
"They also learn that they can no longer trust you, any food that you give them might have hidden food in it that they don't want to eat.
"You run the risk that they're not going to want to eat any food that you give them," She explained.
Fill up on fluids
Whilst it's importnat to make sure your little one is hydrated, letting them drink large amounts of milk, juice and sugary drinks can suppress their appetite.
"They'll no longer be hungry or motivated to try new food," the pro said.
Ditch the distractions
Emma explained: "When your toddler is watching a screen while eating they are more likely to eat vegetable and fruit.
"But what happens when you're doing that is they aren't focusing on the taste of the food, smell or taste of the food."
This means that if they have to eat the same food without a screen as a distraction they might become distressed and not eat the same food, since they haven't actually paid it any attention before.
Instead, Emma recommended sitting at a table and all having the same meal together.
No more grazing
Letting kids snack and graze on different things constantly throughout the day is going to have a knock-on affect when it comes to meal times.
Emma said: "To encourage your little one to sit at the table and eat a meal and actually try new food you want to space out their meals.
"You want three distinct meals as well as one or two snacks.
"This will ensure it gives your little one enough time to built up an appetite and become hungry enough to eat food."
Only giving them what they like
Only giving your tot food they actually like "makes total sense," Emma said, "It reduces the waste of food and any meltdowns that might happen when you introduce new food."
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She added: "For a toddler to eat new food research shows that they need to be shown the same piece of food 10-20 times before they're even willing to try it."
This means that continually exposing them to new foods is key for fussy eaters.
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