Food and proper nutrition for their kids is every mother’s concern. It becomes very difficult for a mom when her child is a picky eater. You always have this question at the back of your mind – “is my baby getting enough nutrition?” But the key is to identify the picky eaters fast and to encourage them to actually eat.

Sitting my son down for dinner meant getting into a battle. He had developed some liking for crispy food. Anything I tried giving him which was not crispy or didn’t have a crunch to it met with a BIG NO. EVERYTIME.

Since his weight gain was fine, his doctor wasn’t that concerned but I had almost lost my sanity. I read up loads on picky eaters and how to encourage them to actually eat. Today I am in a better state of mind and it was a big challenge for me. Let me share with you what worked and how I made it work.

But first, how to identify Picky Eaters?

Some toddlers can be poor eaters – they never finish meals and generally do a lot of fussing around food. And some are picky eaters. Here’s what you should look for:

1. Accepts only a few types of foods
2. Refuses to try any new kinds of food
3. Eats snack or juices without trouble
4. Wants similar food in every meal

Just one kind of food cannot be enough for a balanced meal that a toddler needs to grow right. Fussy eating can result in improper growth, weak immune system. Most importantly it can drive the mom insane when meal time becomes a power struggle.

Consulting the Paediatrician

As any worried mom, I consulted my son’s paediatrician asking for any suggestion that would make him eat. “Don’t take this added stress. Let him discover food, let him try new things, keep doing combinations, he is doing fine.” She had suggested I start with Pediasure, but that became a struggle too. Anything white resembling milk was met with a NO, again.

Can Pediasure be mixed with water? Yes, you can.

Since he hated milk, I had asked the doctor – can Pediasure be mixed with water? She said that Pediasure can be mixed in room temperature water and given as a drink. I took this cue and started introducing this jar of milk at his snack time.

Pediasure’s scientific formula is enriched with 37 nutrients that provide 100% of the recommended dietary allowance of macro and micro nutrients. When I read the label, I also found out Pediasure contains prebiotics and probiotics that helps in boosting immunity.

While Pediasure was helping me in addressing lost-nutrition and lost-growth issues, the biggest challenge for the mom in me was still in making my fussy eater like his food and eat wholesome food. I have had my share of bad days with food getting rejected. But I have also learnt in life nothing comes easy and patience and perseverance helps.

Here’s what I did to encourage my picky eater to actually eat

#1 Make Mealtime “Family Time”

Sit together at the table. Eat as your child eats. In our house, we try to follow the same food for kids and adults to encourage him to eat what we eat. I sit down with him (without my mobile phone) and we generally talk about his school, friends etc. while we eat. This might not work from day 1 but this really helps.

#2 Set the table restaurant-style

Kids like things in order (mine does surely). He behaves well in restaurant and likes when the table is laid out nicely. I started doing that at home, laying out the table with his cutlery and napkin. This made him excited about his food.

#3 Let him eat with other kids

Kids tend to learn really well when they see other kids do something. If you have a preschool-going toddler, focus on the snack box that he might be sharing with other kids. I get his friends home and let them eat together – snack or dinners. This has helped considerably.

#4 Involve kids in the meal-making process

Ask him to help you in the kitchen by shelling out peas, beating eggs for omelette, mixing batter for vegetable muffins. I have always let him participate in cooking so that his interest in food grows. When you serve the food which they have participated in they tend to eat it better.

#5 Wait for your kid to get hungry

Allow kids to get hungry in between meals. Ask your child whether he’s feeling hungry before he’s seated for a meal. Never force-feed your child.

#6 Involve him in physical sports

When your toddler is involved in physical sports like running, swimming, playing ball, playing in the park etc it is not just good for his physical and cognitive development, it’s good for growing his appetite. Introduce fresh healthy food after physical activities.

Every child is different with their development. Food can be a tricky subject for any mom with a picky eater. I know it better now because I made my 3.5-year-old picky eater eat things that he hated – rice, fish, vegetables, soups etc. It is still a work in progress and I will rest this case the day he starts eating everything without any tantrums or without so much effort from my side. Patience is a virtue! Pediasure has come to my rescue on many of the bad food days.

Will your picky eater grow right? This everyday question has an answer – follow these tips to make your picky eater eat and help them grow right.

Do you face a standoff over vegetables and fruits every day at the dinner table? You are not the only one. If you are worried about your kid’s fussy eating, complete and balanced nutrition, thinking whether he will grow right or have proper bone growth – this post is just for you.

Toddlers, preschoolers can be notoriously picky. My soon-to-be-four-year-old will eat toast with butter, parathas with egg, but will make faces if its rice. He absolutely loathes anything mushy like pasta, fish or khichdi! Food must never ever touch each other or his fingers! He says my hand is dirty! Food time is a struggle, but I have learnt how to make it bearable!

Is fussy eating forever? Will he ever Grow Right?

I keep asking his doctor, is he EVER going to eat properly? According to her, he’s healthy and fine. He’s super active and calls himself a Hulk! But picky eating can be detrimental for growth, development and health.

What are the necessities for proper physical growth and brain development?

If you are a mom of a fussy eater, I’m sure you read up a lot about child nutrition and hacks. But mommy, don’t get too much  stressed. Fussy eating is a phase and it improves once they start school and learn to eat along with peers.

I had decided on working on all the pain areas to improve his overall health and eating habits and help him grow right.

How I deal with my picky-eater?

Your picky-eater probably is smarter than you, but you need to also keep in mind who’s the mom! When my son was 2, food time was stressful for me. I tried everything – offering three kinds of food every meal, reducing milk, keeping him hungry and hiding all the snacks! But the toddler was adamant – “I don’t want to eat”! But I wanted him to grow right.

But I decided – I have to outsmart this tiny human. I started engaging him in the kitchen with shelling peas, peeling boiled eggs (of course I made them cold) or even making milk shakes and smoothies. All of these were done to create an interest around food and meal time.

Introduce family food – no special food – EAT Right

I started giving our family food to my toddler which is complete and balanced nutrition in itself. When you are a role-model in front of your kid they tend to watch and learn. We also included several kinds of food in our daily menu. That’s how he started liking soups. It’s the perfect excuse to feed him vegetables. Believe me, I have fed him vegetables like sweet potato, gourd, pumpkin, broccoli, carrots – all through various soups. And he enjoys soups and also watching the hand blender in use! He has also started liking eggs because he participates in peeling them.

Outdoor Play and exercise – PLAY Right

He’s a kid with lot of energy and I need ways to channel that. I enrolled him in a toddler swimming class in our apartment. He has a serious fascination for water so he enjoyed his swimming. Outdoor sports are not only great for physical growth and wellbeing – they develop a good appetite in kids too. Outdoor sports like running, swimming, football are all good ways to improve bone growth.

Provide something that boosts immunity and growth – Grow Right

While he was fussing over his food and I was losing my sleep, the doctor had recommended giving a health drink like PediaSure to make up for the lost nutrition and consequent growth. I was a little sceptical because he wasn’t very fond of milk. I got the PediaSure Cookies and Cream flavour for him and he liked it. PediaSure is enriched with 37 nutrients which provides 100% RDA of macro and micro nutrients when given in appropriate quantities. So whatever your child might be missing out because of poor eating habits, there are more chances of getting it back. PediaSure also contains prebiotics and probiotics that boost  immunity and keeps the gut healthy. I have given him PediaSure in milkshakes, smoothies, added it to cookies, and even pancakes.

Here’s why Pediasure is highly recommended.

My son’s picky eating habits are improving ever since he’s joined school and is eating along with friends. I get surprised when he says “I ate idli in school”! Fussy eating is a phase and often your behaviour and response to it helps to overcome it. If you follow any of these steps for complete and balanced  nutrition, outdoor plays for bone growth and physical development, let me know in a comment below. If you have other tips and hacks for fussy eaters let me know too.

Weather changes related common cough and cold in kids is inevitable. Months of June, July are particularly notorious for a surge in common cough and cold in kids – specially the school going kids. Blame the monsoon and frequent changes in temperature for this. Bangalore is a dry place with a unique weather. You can have extreme heat and rain and cold all in a day! The worst affected in these weather changes are the kids. Let me share 6 tips that I follow to manage common cough and cold in kids.

When are your kids most likely to catch the common cough and cold?

If you are experiencing extreme weather changes – hot and humid one day followed by heavy rains and cooler temperatures, you must take precaution. Common cough and cold in kids during weather changes is always on the rise. Both cough and cold are air borne or contact borne diseases and spreads easily. If your child is going to school, playschool, day care they are more likely to catch this.

I am sharing with you few tips that I follow for my almost-4-year-old-son. He’s vaccinated for influenza and all other major vaccines, but common cough and cold are inevitable.

Disclaimer: This post is not suggesting you should skip vaccines and only stick to home remedies. Vaccines are very important.

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7 Tips to manage common cough and cold in kids during weather changes

Let them Rest

Rest and good sleep cannot be exchanged with anything else. When we adults get cold we feel lethargic all the time, it’s similar for kids too. Sleep helps the body to fight the infection. Let your child sleep a little more, or let him play indoors where they are not running around much. It’s the perfect time to get all crafty – involve them in art and craft or have some story sessions.

Hydrate

Dehydration is pretty common during cough and cold. Kids tend to use the loo less so make sure you are keeping them well hydrated. My son often refuses to drink water, specialy when he has cold. While giving frequent sips of warm water is good – you can also try various soups with vegetables, clear soups or even juices high in Vitamin C to keep them well hydrated.

You might like – Rustic Tomato Soup
Vegetable Stew Recipe

Steam Inhalation

One of the best ways to open blocked nose is steam. Steam thins out the mucous and opens blocked nose. But giving steam to kids can be a challenging task for parents. Here’s what you can try

1. Run hot water in the shower in a closed bathroom. Stand with your kid near it so that they can inhale the steam
2. Use a facial steamer near the kid in the bathroom.
3. Get a humidifier or a cool-mist vaporiser and place it near the bed when your child is sleeping or resting

Saline Drops or Saline sprays

Another good way to clear blocked nose is through saline drops or sprays. You can get sterile saline nose drops at a chemist store and add 1-2 drops in each nostril. You need to keep the head still at one position after adding the drops. This might get difficult with some kids (like mine) so I use the saline nasal spray.

Elevated sleeping

When the nose is blocked it is very difficult to get good sleep. Use pillows to elevate your child’s head position while sleeping.

Dry Ginger Powder & Honey

Dry ginger powder (sonth) is beneficial for cold and runny nose. It’s easily available in the market and you will find them in the spice or powdered spice section in the super market. Take a pinch of dry ginger powder and add a little honey to it. Ask your child to lick on it or keep it on their tongue. This will give them relief from cold.

Tulsi, Ginger and Honey

You must have had this when you were a kid. Wash a few tulsi (basil) leaves, put them in a mortar and pestle and extract its juice. Add some ginger juice and honey to it and give it to your child for relief from cough.

I hope you will find these tips to manage common cough and cold in kids during weather changes helpful. After all, a mom only wants her baby to be fine and comfortable and she goes at lengths to give that comfort. If you have any more tips for common cough and cold during weather changes that you practice, please let me know in a comment below.