The refusal of the child of food horrifies mothers and grandmothers, but in the majority a case is explained by natural causes and does not pose any health hazard of the kid. The situation demands control of the doctor in rare instances – for example if the child has because of small appetite anemia or hypovitaminosis, in other cases to understand reasons for refusal of food and parents can usually take measures without involvement of experts.
If the appetite was gone suddenly, the disease can be the reason. Viral infections, helminthic invasions, mouth diseases are followed by loss of appetite. Take temperature, examine a throat of the child and do not force it to eat if he is really sick. The refusal of food can be also caused by the endured stress – troubles at school or in kindergarten, a fright, change of a habitual situation. Children sometimes temporarily lose appetite at the beginning of visit of school or kindergarten, for sensitive kids there is enough presence at a quarrel of parents or viewing the thriller on TV that for one or two days to lose interest in food. Softly find out, than the child is upset or frightened, and try to calm him.
Attentively study the menu of the child – perhaps, only it seems to you that he eats nothing. Having a snack juice and fruit, unfinished cutlets, several spoons of soup – all this together makes several full meals.
The child can not like the offered food or one of dish ingredients – happens that the kid, for example, refuses to eat sour cream salad, but he eats greedily the cut vegetables without any additives with enviable appetite. Sometimes children are guarded by an unusual type or a smell of a dish, too large portion, the noisy situation in the place of meal distracts.
The simplest reason of which concerned parents usually lose sight – the child does not eat because he is not hungry. He could not manage to get hungry since the last meal, to spend not enough energy again to want to eat, or to be fond of a game and to forget about hunger. It is impossible to force the child to eat, blackmail, threaten: "Do not eat soup – you will not go to circus (I will not let go, I will not buy a toy)!". Not the best option and playing of representations at meal time, arrangements, bribery. Food should not be associated neither with entertainments, nor with psychological pressure. For the period of a lunch or a dinner switch off the TV, remove far away toys and books – let nothing distracts the child. Do not offer the child many dishes at choice, do not replace a full-fledged lunch with fruit or cookies. If children refuse to eat, expecting that instead of soup mom will give not too useful, but tasty sausages or sweets, let them know that it will not occur. If the child refuses food, do not insist – remove a plate, allow it to leave because of a table and suggest to eat in an hour or do not offer at all until the child asks food. Kids can be interested in food, spreading on a plate porridge in the form of amusing mugs, decorating dishes with the cut vegetables or fruit. It is important not to abuse such jewelry, otherwise the child can refuse to eat too, according to him, boringly looking dishes. Is more senior than children it is possible to involve in cooking process – be prepared that at first the disorder in kitchen will become more, but there are salads or fritters made independently children will be with pleasure.