Short answer: Picky eating is common in preschool years and gets worse with pressure, rewards or punishment. What works is the division of responsibility: parents decide when and what is served, the child decides how much to eat. Accepting a new taste can take 10–15 exposures.
What works at the table
- Family meals at the same time, screen-free
- Always one 'safe' food on the plate
- New foods in small amounts, without comment
- Involving the child in shopping and cooking
- Stopping constant snacking between meals
When to worry
- A drop on the growth chart
- Refusing a whole food group
- Gagging, difficulty swallowing
- Every meal turning into a fight
Who helps?
A dietitian addresses growth and the eating routine; a child psychologist addresses anxiety and power struggles at the table. At Sone they work together.
