RESIGN FROM THE CLEAN-PLATE CLUB

Parents who tell their kids to finish everything on their plates are teaching them to overeat. “Intuitive or mindful eating involves listening to your body and eating when you are hungry and then stopping when you are full. When children are told to clean their plates they are basically being told not to listen to their bodies,” Kath explains.

Children, however, may say they are full when they don’t like what they are being served. A parent needs to be aware of this and should play it down, Kath recommends. She suggests responding with: “That’s fine if you are full, you don’t have to eat anything. But let me know when you are hungry, and

I will warm this up for you.” Giving your child a snack after he hasn’t finished his meal will only encourage him not to eat the food that is placed before him.

But if you are genuinely concerned that your child is not eating enough, remember that his stomach is small. He should be having five to six small meals a day that must be balanced. This means they should contain a protein, dairy, starch, fruit or vegetable. Don’t allow snacks to happen shortly before a meal, and be careful of fluids that “falsely” fill up a little stomach, preventing children from eating their food.