If the child does not eat anything in the kindergarten: reasons and what to do (part 2)

This situation occurs all the time. It is clear that this causes concern and even anxiety among parents. Although - you should not worry too much. Firstly, a kid's refusal to eat in kindergarten usually does not cause any serious consequences for the child's well-being. Secondly, such a "children's rebellion" always has its reasons, about which parents need to have a clear and clear understanding.

Psychological reasons due to which the child refuses to eat

Few babies eat with pleasure in the first days of their stay in the kindergarten. First, he needs to get used to a new place and the strangers who surround him. In other words, adapt. Adaptation is one of the main reasons for a child's refusal to eat. Parents should understand that a sudden change of scenery is always stressful for the baby. The main causes of childhood stress in this case are:

Get up early. At home, the child could wake up when he slept. In kindergarten, they wake him up by force and very early. It is clear that the child's body and psyche must adapt to a new regime for him. Until this happens, the baby will be capricious and refuse to eat;
There are many new toys in kindergarten that may be of interest to your baby. And until he "plays enough" with such toys, the child is likely to refuse food, believing that kindergarten breakfasts and dinners interfere with his play;
Too many peers. At home, the baby mostly communicated only with his parents, brother or sister, grandparents or two or three peers in the sandbox in the yard. In kindergarten, his circle of contacts has expanded significantly. Now he is surrounded by many peers. In the first days of his stay in kindergarten, the child will try to establish relationships with them and, as they say, find his place in the team. This is a complex psychological process that requires a lot of energy, and therefore the baby can refuse to eat;
Usually, especially in the first days of being in kindergarten, the child thinks that his mother has left and will never return. At the same time, no assurances that the mother will definitely take him in the evening do not affect the baby. This is how the child's psyche works. It is clear that in such a state the baby simply cannot eat as it should;
The child is used to listening only to his mother, and does not want to obey the teacher. For this reason, he may also refuse to eat in the kindergarten;
Being at home, the kid is used to being told a fairy tale, reading a book or showing a cartoon before starting the reception. For obvious reasons, no one in kindergarten will do this especially for him. As a result, the child, without waiting for a fairy tale or favorite cartoon, may refuse to eat;
By refusing to eat, the baby thereby tries to manipulate the parents. He is well aware that refusing to eat will make the parents worry and anxious, and they will try to pick him up as early as possible, or even not bring him back to kindergarten at all. This manifestation of childish selfishness is far from the only one in this situation. Other selfish manifestations can be childish tantrums every morning, attempts to run after mom when she leaves the child in kindergarten, etc.

This is just the main and most general list of psychological reasons because of which the baby may refuse to eat. Since every child is a person, each of the kids may have individual reasons for refusal. Parents must notify educators about the individual characteristics of the child's character. As for educators, then, accordingly, they are obliged to take into account this important parental information, and try, as far as possible, to take it into account in the process of communicating with the child.

Other reasons why a child may find themselves eating

In addition to psychological issues and nuances, children can remain hungry in kindergarten for other reasons. Here are just the most common reasons:

The child is very selective in food and does not like kindergarten meals. This can also include the fact that the child is simply afraid to try the food that is not familiar to him. If the baby is 2-3 years old, then due to his age, he has not yet had time to form any preferences in food. In this case, after a few days, he will get used to new dishes for him. If the child first went to kindergarten at the age of 4-5, then it will be longer and harder to get used to unfamiliar food;
By refusing to eat, the child thus protests. Such a child's "rebellion" usually happens in several cases: the kid recently entered the kindergarten, his teacher changed, to whom he managed to get used to, he was transferred to another group, he was not allowed to play with his favorite toy, etc .;
The kid turns out to be from food, because he feels bad: he has a cold, a stomach ache, a loose tooth, etc.;
The child has a congenital allergy to certain foods. Parents must warn the educators about this before sending the baby to kindergarten;
The kid eats little because of his innate characteristics, and therefore is not able to eat everything that is offered to him in kindergarten. This is especially true for children who are small in height and weight, as well as a calm character;
At home, the child is accustomed to a different diet than in the kindergarten. In other words, in kindergarten, he does not want to eat when he is offered, and wants - when this is impossible. This can also include the circumstance when at home the baby is fed not according to the regime, but when he asks or when it is more convenient for the parents;
The child does not know how to eat with a spoon on his own. Before assigning a baby to kindergarten, parents must necessarily teach him how to use a spoon and other cutlery. If for some reason this was not done, then almost certainly the baby will starve in the kindergarten. It may happen that the teacher, busy with other children, simply does not pay attention to the unskilled baby in order to feed him;
The child is fed before being taken to the kindergarten. It is clear that in this case the baby is unlikely to eat kindergarten dishes. Likewise, he will not eat when his parents stuff his pockets with cookies and candy "for a snack";
The child does not eat well because the season affects him. It is known that in summer children grow faster than in winter, and therefore they eat in summer with a great appetite, since they need more energy for growth;
The kid is overly susceptible to natural biorhythms. Exposure to natural biorhythms is a feature of many people, both adults and children. For this reason, some people (including children) may not be hungry in the morning or evening, or - at this time, eat only some specific food, and not everything that is offered to them;
The child may not be hungry due to his calm nature. and, as a result, low physical activity;
The process associated with food causes unpleasant associations in the baby. This can be in those cases when at home he is often scolded for not knowing how to behave at the table, eating poorly, dropping food on the table or on the floor, etc. In this case, in the garden, the child will also latently expect strict remarks and reproaches, and, accordingly, eat little;
The kid can eat poorly due to restlessness and curiosity. Fidget children cannot sit at the table for a long time, they are often distracted, play pranks, as they say, look at other people's plates. Because of this, they often remain hungry not only themselves, but also prevent others from eating;
It can also happen that the crumb simply does not gorge itself on kindergarten food. The reasons can be different: low-calorie or poorly prepared food, small portions, etc.;

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Again, it should be noted once again that these are not all the reasons why children may refuse to eat in the kindergarten. Much depends on the psychology, character and physical characteristics of each particular baby.

What to do for the baby to eat

Generally speaking, the answer to this question is obvious. So that the child does not refuse food in the kindergarten, it is necessary to identify and eliminate the reasons why he does not want (or cannot) eat. The reasons have already been mentioned. Let's talk about how you can eliminate them:

Before you send your child to kindergarten, you need to teach him to independently use a spoon and other objects that are used at the table. A child who has learned to use cutlery, psychologically feels much more confident, and therefore he will be more willing to eat. We read about how to teach a child to use a spoon;
It is necessary to try to ensure that the baby has about the same daily routine at home as in the garden. In other words, you need to feed and put your baby to bed at the same time as in the kindergarten. Having adapted to the same regime, the child will acquire the habit of having breakfast, lunch and dinner at the same time, as a result of which he will be more willing to eat in kindergarten;
The homemade children's menu should be varied, trying to make some dishes similar to those that the baby is fed in kindergarten. Having become accustomed to a variety of dishes, the child will cease to be afraid of unfamiliar food, and as a result, he will begin to eat not only at home;
You should try in every possible way so that breakfasts, lunches, afternoon snacks and dinners evoke pleasant associations in the baby. In no case should you rush the child while eating and, moreover, criticize him for awkwardness and inability. On the contrary, every child's success should be praised. This will develop in the child confidence that he is doing everything right. It has long been known that a confident person eats much more and more willingly than an insecure, intimidated and notorious person. However, in this case, it is necessary to observe the measure in the sense that not to turn the process of eating into an entertainment attraction, otherwise the child may take it for granted, and in the future will not want to eat without entertainment;
If a baby “rebelles” (refuses to eat) in order to make his parents feel sorry for them not to take him to kindergarten, then in this case, convince him that kindergarten is his job (like mom and dad);
Respectful attitude to other people's work is another way to convince the baby that he must eat. The crumb should be explained that the aunt cook prepared food for him, and if he refuses to eat, he will offend her by that. It is very useful to show your child from time to time how a particular dish is prepared;
You don't need to feed your baby before sending him to kindergarten;
When a child is in kindergarten, it is useful to put him at the table with those children who do not refuse to eat. The kid will take an example from them, and as a result, very soon he will learn to eat in the same way as other children;
You should not take your baby home early so that he has lunch or dinner at home. Let him get used to eating in a team, taking an example from those peers who eat well;
If the child did not want to eat in the kindergarten, then do not get hung up on this and make a tragedy by scolding the baby. Better to pretend that nothing terrible happened. Until the baby gets used to eating in kindergarten, it is useful to talk with him about what they were fed today and what he liked about food;
If the baby does not gorge himself on kindergarten food, then in this case it is necessary to feed him with breakfast before being taken to kindergarten, and also feed him after kindergarten. You should also talk with the manager and the chef about replacing some dishes with others. Currently, in many kindergartens, parents are allowed to bring home, additional food to the kindergarten;
In the case of a child's "rebellion" (refusal to eat), the child needs to pay as much attention as possible, ask him all sorts of questions about how things are in the kindergarten, listen carefully to his answers, thus trying to determine why the baby is refusing food. In the event that the situation seems serious to you, it would be wise to consult a child psychologist.
If it turns out that the baby, due to his psychological characteristics, will not be able to get used to the kindergarten environment, you should think about picking him up from the kindergarten and taking him back only after a year and a half. Or - hire a private nanny for your child;

How to help your child adapt

In order for the baby to start eating normally in kindergarten, he needs to get used to the new environment for him. Of course, a lot depends on the baby himself, his psychology, state of health, etc. But, at the same time, there are many general rules, taking into account which, parents will help their child go through the adaptation period faster and more painlessly.

First: it is necessary to prepare the baby for kindergarten in advance. In this case, we are talking not so much about material preparation (buying new clothes, a stroller in which the baby will be taken to the kindergarten, etc.), but about moral assistance to the baby. The child must be explained in advance that soon there will be changes in his life, that is, he will go to kindergarten. At the same time, the baby must be convinced in every possible way that no one will leave him there for a long time and will certainly take home, that there will be many interesting toys, new friends, etc. Having believed you, the child will more willingly go to kindergarten, and will get used to a new one much faster. his surroundings and new people.
Secondly, the parents themselves also need to get used to the fact that their baby will be far away from them for some time. Parents also need to prepare for this in advance. In addition, parents, before sending their baby to kindergarten, need to get to know the educators, director, cook and other people who work in the kindergarten as closely as possible. And if it happens that some of these people do not like the parents for some reason, then it would be better to look for another kindergarten. Why this is so is understandable: the nervousness that mom and dad will experience every time, every day giving their baby into the hands of people whom they do not trust, will certainly be passed on to the child, and then it will be much more difficult for him to adapt.
Third, the adaptation itself. At first, the baby should be left in the kindergarten not for the whole day, but only for a few hours. Then - an hour or two more. Then, depending on how the child feels, you can leave it on for the whole day. There are no specific dates here: a lot depends on the baby himself. If conditions permit, then in the first days the mother can stay in the kindergarten with the baby.

When sending a child to kindergarten, parents need to be patient. In no case should you put pressure on the baby and try to speed up the adaptation process. Usually children, depending on their character traits, get used to kindergarten, starting from a period of two or three weeks and ending with a month or two. It is very important that during the period of adaptation the house has a welcoming and calm atmosphere. In this case, the baby, having gathered new impressions for him during the day, will be able to calmly rest at home, which will help him get used to the new environment for him.

If your child doesn't like kindergarten food
Cocoa with froth is disgusting, semolina looks like glue, and the smell of stewed cabbage alone provokes nausea. In this situation, the baby will be understood not only by other children, but also by adults, because many people hate food from public catering. Try to accustom your child to this food - on weekends, when he is at home, prepare a menu close to the garden one, and this:
Milk porridge: oatmeal, buckwheat, millet.
Soups: potato with cereals, milk with cereals or noodles, potato with meatballs, soup with beans, borscht.
Second: cutlets, stewed fish, roast, pilaf, hodgepodge.
Garnish: stewed cabbage, mashed potatoes, vegetable caviar, pasta, cereals.
Dinner: casseroles, stewed vegetables (beets, pumpkin).
Drinks: tea, compote, cocoa with milk, lemon drink, kefir, chicory.
Of course, not a single child can fall in love with all of the above dishes. It's okay if he gives up the pea soup, but he will gladly eat the cutlet and mashed potatoes.