Am I doing it Right?

Question: I'm a first time mom and I have so many questions in regards to feeding? After the 6 month mark and solids start, how do I know if I'm feeding my child enough? or too much? What if he consistently refuses vegetables? Meal time is always a battle and not enjoyable for either of us. Do you have any recommendations?

Answer: Yes! Go to your local library and check out the book Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense. Last I checked, it was also available on Amazon for less than $12. Even as a dietitian myself, I found this book extremely helpful and resourceful in feeding my own children. If you take nothing else away from this book, take away these two things and your life (and that of your child) will be MUCH easier and happier -- I promise!

1.) It is your responsibility as the parent/caretaker to determine the what, where and when. In other words, you determine what the child eats, where he/she eats it and when he/she eats it (consistent meal and snack times are important for children). But your child is responsible for the how much and if. In other words, allow them to eat as much as they want or as little as they want. This also means, they have the right to refuse it. You, as the parent don't replace their food if they refuse it. And you as the parent do not stress out if they ate more than you thought they should or not as much as you wanted them too. Those two things are the child's responsibility!

2.) The reason why you don't need to stress over the how much and if is because children are amazing regulators. Unless they have a disease or physical ailment of some kind that distorts eating/digestion, infants and toddlers inately know how much to eat and their bodies, whether big or small, are just right for them.