Some parents find that their children eat very slowly during meals, but they don't know why their children behave this way, just urging them to finish quickly. Is it abnormal for children to eat very slowly? What should I do if my child eats very slowly?
Eating slower actually doesn't matter. Chewing slowly is also beneficial for health. If there are no urgent matters, parents should not lose their temper when their children eat slower. The problem now is that sometimes time is tight, and adults want their children to eat faster, but if the children can't eat faster, parents think it's because they are used to being slow. Actually, this is just one of the reasons. If a child knows that there is a particularly fun game waiting for them and they can't play it if they are late, will they still eat so slowly? Obviously not. So, parents being anxious and children not being anxious is also an important reason why children eat slowly. In such situations, parents must repeatedly emphasize the urgency of the matter to their children and explain the consequences, such as being late, being criticized by teachers for being late, and not being able to wear a red scarf. If you have explained everything clearly and the child is still so slow, then you must make him bear the consequences for his own slowness.
Many children cannot concentrate while eating, which is also one of the reasons for slow eating. As soon as they have eaten a few bites, they go to read magazines or look around. This is clearly a bad lifestyle habit. For such children, parents can adopt a combination of reinforcement training and motivation. On the one hand, parents need to create a good environment to encourage their children to concentrate, and on the other hand, they need to set goals, such as requiring their children to finish their meals within a certain period of time based on the actual situation. When a child meets the requirements of their parents through hard work, they are given an incentive, such as a five pointed star or a red flag. After accumulating 10 incentive items, the parents will meet the child's requirement, such as rewarding him with watching an animated film or buying a book he loves. By persisting in this way, habits become natural.
When using the above methods of behavior correction, there are several points worth noting: firstly, it is necessary to involve children together, jointly develop goals and plans, and adjust the speed of progress with them throughout the process; Secondly, make good records every day so that both your child and you can see progress and enhance confidence; Thirdly, when determining rewards and consequences, caution should be exercised and they must be realistic and feasible; Fourthly, we must keep our promises and persevere; Fifth, ensure that other adults in the family are consistent with you.
It is a bad habit for children to eat very slowly, so parents should be patient and correct it. Believe that after a period of time, you will discover changes in your child.
