Food and Feeding Boundaries

Behaviour is governed by boundaries, whether laws created for society or rules enforced by parents. This helps provide predictability and allows for better expectations and understanding in our relationships.

The Appetite to Play Recommendations and Training include feeding children using an approach called the Division of Responsibility, which is based on research done on the feeding relationship by Registered Dietitian, Ellyn Satter. The approach gives children the responsibility to decide IF and HOW MUCH they will eat which may sound like giving children full control with no rules over food.

However, there is still much that lies in the responsibility of parents and caregivers. Children need their caregivers’ and parents’ support to develop into competent eaters. The parent or caregiver is responsible for:

● WHAT to eat and this means determining which foods are brought into the house and offered to children. If there is a food that a child does not need on an everyday basis, perhaps it can be purchased only for special occasions.

● WHEN to eat and this means offering food to children regularly with meals or snacks every 2 to 3 hours. If food does not get eaten by children at one meal or snack, there will be another opportunity for them to eat at a predictable time coming up.

● WHERE to eat and this means children can be expected to come to the table for meals and snacks, whether they are eating or not. Focus on positive conversations about activities occurring that day or in the near future rather than discuss food or eating or using screen-based devices.

For further support with this topic, for any families or caregivers, visit HealthLink BC and speak to a Registered Dietitian, Mon-Fri, 9-5 by calling 8-1-1 from anywhere in BC.