Question
The child always refuses to eat dinner at mealtime but consumes a lot of snacks. They avoid eating at proper meals and only eat a little when they do. Recently, the child has lost a lot of weight, and often complains of abdominal pain. What could this be?
Answer
To make the child enjoy eating dinner, parents can try the following strategies: prepare less food at each meal to keep the child looking forward to more food next time. If the child doesn’t want to eat, don’t force them to; immediately take away the food. In between meals, do not give the child snacks. Use water or distraction techniques until it’s time for the next meal. Let the child’s biological clock signal hunger at dinner time, stimulating gastric juice secretion and helping to increase their appetite.