The issue of food education of children must not be ignored

The book \”Food Education: From Nutrient Intake to Attention to Eating Behavior\” was written by Heiji Fujimori, a Japanese kindergarten director who is dedicated to researching food education issues. The \”food education\” issue emphasized in this book is not just about teaching children how to eat and what to eat, but also hopes to infiltrate the knowledge and wisdom about food education into children\’s daily life, teaching them to enjoy eating and growing up. The author uses examples to illustrate the positive changes in children and the relevant practices of food education in an appropriate environment. He hopes readers can gain some insights from reading and help children grow up happily. Today, we focus on three aspects of the book, namely: no force, emphasis on practice and no obstruction. \”Don\’t force\” When a child refuses to eat something, parents usually coax him to \”just try a little.\” When a child refuses to clean the room, parents will strictly demand what must be done; when a child frowns and is picky about food at the dinner table, parents often Will say \”This is nutritious, don\’t be picky about food\”, etc. But the truth is often that children \”don\’t eat when they say they won\’t eat\”, \”the more you tell me, the less likely I am to take care of you\” or \”the picky eaters still go their own way\”. In fact, compulsive behavior has arisen unconsciously in \”care\”. Forcing food that you don\’t want to eat into your mouth will make adults feel strong discomfort, let alone a young child? Rather than forcing your child to eat and triggering a backlash, use the feeling of accomplishment to help them accept themselves. For example, parents can eat most of the broccoli that their children don\’t like to eat first, and when there is a little bit left, they can say to the child, \”There is a little bit left. Mom can\’t eat it. You can help her eat it.\” Praise is the best way to mobilize enthusiasm. For another example, if a child doesn\’t like to clean up the room, parents can help the child to tidy up the room first, and when there is some work left, encourage the child to give it a try. The sense of accomplishment that is quickly dealt with and the praise of \”you are awesome\” from parents will gradually dispel the child\’s sense of resistance. After more times, passivity will turn into gratifying initiative. As for picky eaters, it is not as serious as parents think, because the diversity of foods ensures that their nutrition is replaceable. For example, if a child doesn\’t like apples, he can eat pears; if he doesn\’t like spinach, he can eat lettuce. Although the nutrition will not be exactly the same, wouldn’t it be good if the nutrition is commensurate with the happiness of the child? It is much better for children to accept it slowly than to force them to accept it, both physically and emotionally. \”Emphasis on practice\” Some parents are opposed to their children being exposed to cooking at a young age. On the one hand, they believe that kitchen knives and stoves will harm their children, and on the other hand, they feel that children should learn cultural knowledge. The author believes that cooking is a very meaningful game and attempt for children in the growing stage. In addition to mastering necessary life skills, learning to cook can also fully mobilize children\’s five senses. Scientists believe that the five senses are the most important tools for children\’s thinking, cognition and language development. For example, let the children learn about Zanthoxylum bungeanum through the five senses: by seeing and smelling it, they can know the appearance and smell of Zanthoxylum bungeanum; by touching it, they can know that the Zanthoxylum bungeanum tree has thorns; by drying it in the sun, they can know how the color of Zanthoxylum bungeanum becomes darker; and then encourage children to use Zanthoxylum bungeanum powder to Dish, know its unique taste. Through sight, hearing, touch and smell fiveSense, the child really knows something, rather than just relying on visual knowledge from books. Feeling the ingredients, participating in the process, and tasting the results can help children realize the concept of nutrition more clearly. Maybe children won’t know clearly which contains iron and which contains zinc, but they know what colors of vegetables have what effects, which will improve children’s picky eating. The nutritional values ​​​​developed since childhood have a profound impact on life-long health concepts. Therefore, parents can do a good job in the preliminary work, such as safety hazards in the kitchen, etc., and then let their children meet the \”ingredients\” and let them use their five senses to taste happiness and experience growth. \”Do not hinder\” Many parents have a concept that \”the child is too young to decide how much he or she eats; or too young to only feed the child.\” When parents feel that the child has not eaten enough, they force the child to add more food, or prevent the child from doing it on his own. , to avoid a mess on the dining table. In fact, if we think about it, when babies are breastfeeding, do they always stop on their own initiative? That\’s because babies can decide how much breast milk they eat. Similarly, usually, when a child puts down the spoon, it means they are full. Parents should not use their own experience to hinder their children\’s normal judgment, which will lead to more It may be counterproductive. Children must constantly exercise their survival abilities as they grow up. They need to know for themselves, \”Oh, the fork cannot hold the soup,\” \”Oh, vegetables will taste better if mixed with sauce,\” and so on. Taking good care of children is important, but parents should not do for them what the children can do themselves. Instead of feeding them, you can teach them how to use spoons and chopsticks, pour drinks, and serve rice. This is the process in which they learn about food and the world, and the abilities they acquire in this process cannot be replaced by parental involvement. Giving food to children and letting children eat are two completely different concepts. Giving is subjective and coercive, while letting means respecting the child\’s choice and making one\’s own decisions. As time goes by, you will find that your child\’s hands-on ability has improved and he will be able to express his opinions correctly. In fact, this lack of hindrance can lead to better growth. To sum up, the so-called \”food education\” is to use \”eating\” as the starting point to mobilize the child\’s five senses, so that the child can grow up without force and in a happier way. Eat together with your children, let them understand the nutrition of food, bring them the joy of eating, and let them absorb the nutrients of life from the \”food\” they cannot live without and thrive. That’s it for today’s sharing. I hope it can inspire you. Remember to give us a like and encourage us.