Wish to cure or prevent ‘a fussy eater’? Our top tips

1. We all want children to eat and thrive.  Remember to keep things in perspective - children will not normally starve themselves!  Avoid getting ‘hung up’ on food – an easy temptation!
2. Don't use meal times or food as tools for punishments – keep these times special; an enjoyable quality time for all.  Great social occasions; fantastic opportunities for regular ‘conversations’.  Additionally, lots of learning can be achieved -  in tasting different foods; tastes, textures, cooking styles … and which ones are good for teeth and bodies!
3. Present foods attractively without giving options for something different – a ‘take it or leave it attitude’ ensures there isn't a battle ground.  See tip 11.
4. It is vitally important not to make eating times into negative experiences.  Some children will use ‘meal times’ to gain negative attention and escalate into a vicious circle.
5. Keep regular times for meals and snacks.  Snack are important, youngsters are continually ‘on the go’.          
6. Serve food on the largest bowl/plate available – so portions appear small
7. Give the smallest portions at the beginning (below normal appetite) – so praise is given for a clean plate.  
8. Children to serve food themselves.  An older child might be encouraged to serve their whole meal; ‘a little of each’ or with a small serving spoon ‘a spoon of each’.  The younger child will gain satisfaction from serving themselves seconds and maybe thirds of the foods they especially like after eating their initial plateful of firsts.
9. Keep eating time short.  Children generally eat all they need within twenty minutes.  Young children find it difficult to sit still, with unrealistic expectations the situation will become a negative one. 
10. Remove unwanted food immediately without comment.  Put the emphasis on what is preferred – praise what is eaten, ignore what is not.
11. Involve children in menu planning and preparing food.  Encourage creativity within ‘balanced diet guidelines’ for meal contents.  Giving opportunities to become involved prior to meal or snack times gives children control and supports the opportunity to enjoy their own endeavours.

At any of the nurseries run by Springlands Nursery in Colchester - there is a reason for everything we do - meal times are happy times - it is amazing to see children enjoy a full range of foods from around the world, use table manners and become totally independent in laying the table, serve food and clear away!  A totally sociable and enjoyable experience.

P L A Y - NORMAL & VITAL!

There are four stages of play:                                                 

• Solitary Play
• Parallel Play
• Associative Play
• Co-operative Play

Solitary Play – up until the age of two years old, children usually play alone. They may play with adults but not with other children. Older children can choose to play alone for example whilst painting or drawing, but this tends to be for a short period of time. 

Games and play enjoyed at this age tend to be games like peek-a-boo and exploring a variety of toys and objects, using all of the senses. Children prefer brightly coloured, noisy toys!  

Parallel Play – from approximately two years old, children start to notice what other children around them are doing. Children will happily play alongside each other at an activity, but are not usually developmentally ready to share. However, they can begin to develop a concept of turn taking. 

Children of this age enjoy sharing a story and favourite songs. They also like toys they can manipulate, for instance, large threading beads or toys with lots of buttons to press. 

Associative Play – this is sometimes called spectator play as it involves children watching what each other are doing whilst playing and also copying them. This stage tends to occur at around the age of three years old.

Children are now able to follow rules, take turns and enjoy organized games. They are becoming much more imaginative, playing with small world people and dressing up. They enjoy a wide variety of activities from physical activities to quieter games and creative play using play dough, drawing and other craft.  

Co-operative Play - is the final stage of play and happens between the age of three and four years. They are now beginning to form friendships and will play together with simple board games. As they become older more organized play occurs, for instance you may hear them say ‘let’s play at being dogs’.

At this age their physical skills are becoming a lot more refined and children are able to climb, skip and play ball games. They enjoy creating, using junk modelling, baking, drawing and painting.

*  *  *

At Springlands Baby Chalet, Springlands Nursery and The Cherries Nurseries in Colchester we encourage the children to learn through their play. Play is the children’s work. By playing they learn to express their feelings, share and build relationships. They learn a lot of skills that will be required later in life. While playing children 'come to terms' with what is happening in their own lives; it helps them make sense of the world around them. Each child will naturally progress at their own rate through the stages. Children should have a variety of play opportunities including those that are chosen by the child and also some that are lead by an adult.


Through play children can experiment safely, develop thinking skills, reasoning skills, problem solving, recall information, consolidate what they are learning ....

* * *

 The value of play should not be underestimated 

What might appear to be very annoying to an adult is VITAL for the child.

Very young children explore through their senses, exploring with their mouths. It can be very easy for a 'well intentioned adult' to restrict this activity due to hygiene and the potential risks of being hurt. The small piece of coconut mat (kept clean!) in our Heuristic Play Baskets is much more hygienic than the same mat by the front door - the young child NEEDS TO experience it … perhaps just the once! In our experience babies who are prevented in exploring their environment in this way are still trying to do so at a much older age; maybe they continue to mouth everything and continue to be told, ‘Take it out of your mouth’. 

Children enjoy repetition. How annoying can that be! A toddler might wish to repeatedly empty a low book shelf of books. We have to understand that the child NEEDS to do this to satisfy their curiosity, gaining whatever knowledge they need from it. What might the toddler be learning? How books “come apart” – open up; the smell of the paper; the noise they make when hitting the floor; how to handle different sizes and weights of books. They know what they want and, once learnt, will just stop doing it. It is worth being tolerant and replacing the books ready for next time.

An older child they might repeatedly want the same bedtime story. Why do they insist in doing this? It fulfils an inner need and is not to be annoying!

Maybe, they simply require your company or the comfort of the same routine. As adults it can be reassuring to know what is expected, for children this relates to recognized daily routines. Perhaps it’s just about enjoying the sounds of words or trying to remember the story line. Tomorrow new words might slip into their vocabulary. They might recall the story and act it out at nursery in a ‘friendship group’, possibly extending the story line using their imagination while being creative with props used to support the story. Later in education, these skills will affect future stories composed using the expanded vocabulary with creative and imaginative thinking.

As an adult I have happy memories of childhood stories – maybe you do too.

*  *  *

“My child does nothing at nursery – there’s nothing to bring home”

Really? Some nurseries will insist children do something to take home to satisfy the parent – probably to show there is a point in sending their child in the first place.

As previously indicated, if left to choose what to play with and which activities to pursue within the nursery, then the child’s inner needs prevail. There may not be anything to take home but they will have enjoyed what is necessary for inner satisfaction. Through play, they will investigate and consolidate by repetitive exploration reaching levels not immediately tangible to the adult.

“It’s more important what they take

home in their heads rather than what they take home in their hands”.

However, when a child desires to do activities on paper; there will be reams of it!  With children under five, generally it is the ‘doing’ that is more important than the end result, however, much that may please the parent. 

*  *  *

At Springlands we are patient and facilitate learning through stimulation in age appropriate environments where every child learns by personal choice and through what interests them. We welcome being challenged ...

* * *