Do You Have a Fussy Eater at Home? Read This!

Does your child pick around his or her plate at dinner time?

Is your child leaving veggies and fruits untouched?

Are you worried that your child may lack the daily recommended amount of nutrients?

Don’t worry! According to the Mayo Clinic, “most kids get plenty of variety and nutrition in their diets over the course of a week.” Typically, picky eaters are common among 2-5 year-olds, and outgrow the pickiness once they get to a certain age.  

However, there are many things you can do for dinner that will help introduce healthy and nutritious food into your child’s diet. According to the Mayo Clinic, parents can take a few simple steps, including:

1. Respect your child’s appetite.
2. Stick to a routine of serving meals and snacks around the same time every day.
3. Be patient with new foods. Repeated exposure to a new food is usually a requirement.
4. Make it fun! Serve favorite dips or sauces with veggies.
5. Recruit your child’s help for selecting groceries at the store.
6. Set a good example. If you eat your veggies, your child is likely to follow your example.
7. Be creative! Add veggies in soups or sauces, or add sliced fruit in cereal.
8. Minimize distractions at dinner by turning off all electronic devices.
9. Don’t offer dessert as a reward. Withholding dessert sends the message that the dessert is the best food, which might only increase your child's desire for sweets.
10. Don’t be a short-order cook. Preparing a separate meal for your child after he or she rejects the original meal might promote picky eating. Encourage your child to stay at the table for the designated mealtime — even if he or she doesn't eat.

Have you found other ways that get your child to be less fussy at dinner time? If you have any techniques, please share it with us below in the comments! At Little Angels Preschool & Daycare Ypsilanti, we’re dedicated to our students’ health and well-being.

How to Help Develop Your Child’s Love For Reading. Preschool Daycare Ypsilanti

Are you trying to help develop your child’s mind and get them prepared for school? 

One of the best ways to instill the importance of education is to teach them to enjoy reading.  Reading is not only a way to increase knowledge, it’s also a great form of entertainment.  And don’t kids and adults both love doing fun things?   

Start early by reading to them with age-appropriate books.  They’re never too young to start.  You can even read to babies.  Many infant books also have noise and different textures added to further stimulate your child. 

Choose good books that are age-appropriate so they’ll enjoy them.  Try to choose books about topics they’ve shown interest in or that they can relate to.  Once they begin to enjoy reading, then open them up to new ideas, genres and topics.

When your child is old enough, enroll them in a library program.  They often have coordinating games, crafts and speakers that go along with the stories. 

Set up a special reading area in the house.  It could be under a blanket fort or a spot with a comfy chair and lamp.  Encourage them to decorate with pictures of their favorite book characters. 

Set aside family time for reading.  You can all read the same book or enjoy your individual materials.  It may be best to make it a routine, like after dinner or bath time.  It is also important for them to see you reading and hear you talk about the book you’re reading.    

Reading doesn’t have to be just books or the iPad.  Try sharing newspaper articles, magazines and blogs.  Tons of games also require reading like board games, crossword puzzles, coloring books, word searches and more. 

Never make reading a punishment.  Nothing will make them dread it more than being forced to read!

Make colorful bookmarks with your child and track their progress with reading charts to help celebrate each chapter read.  You may also want to reward them with something positive, perhaps with a new book they have been wanting or watching a movie made from a book they’ve previously read. 

At Little Angels Preschool Ypsilanti | Daycare Ypsilanti we incorporate reading into our daily routine.  Please contact us if you need suggestions on appropriate books for your child’s age and ability. 

www.littleangelsypsilanti.com         734-998-0233       littleangelspsd@yahoo.com