Is your child used to eating while watching videos on your phone or on the TV? Is it difficult for you to feed them when there’s no TV around? It might also be the case that your child got used to having these distractions in order to be able to eat.
This is also known as distraction feeding. This could be a challenging behavior but you can definitely do something to break this from your child.
What can you read in this article?
- Distraction feeding
- How to stop eating while watching tv
- Is it bad to let baby watch tv
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Distraction feeding
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Distraction feeding is when you use multiple distractions while dining to get your child to eat. Distractions while eating include the “airplane flying technique,” feeding your toys or having your child feed you first, waving toys in front of your kids, dancing or singing as they eat, and, most of the time, watching TV.
Because your child’s attention is directed away from the food (especially when it’s new or they don’t like it), distraction feeding works. They have no qualms about trying new foods, eating things they don’t like, or consuming more food because their senses are occupied with distractions.
Is it bad to let baby watch tv
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Distraction feeding makes a child less aware of their food and less in tune with their body. This can lead to a child losing track of when they are full and when they should stop eating. Which can lead to juvenile obesity, poor portion control, and weight problems later in life.
If a child is preoccupied and ignorant of their environment, he or she may not learn to consume certain textures, appreciate certain flavors, or accept new foods later in life.
According to Lori Francis, Penn State University assistant professor of biobehavioral health, television interferes with children’s bodies’ natural signals of fullness, causing them to overeat or undereat.
She says that in this culture, it’s crucial that kids get clear messages about food and healthy eating because anything that distracts them interferes with their ability to pay attention to what their bodies are saying.
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Here are some side effects that letting your baby watch tv can have:
1. Obesity
Several sociological studies have found that viewing TV during meals leads to overeating or obesity. Toddlers eat more when they are watching TV because their attention is drawn to the screen rather than the food.
2. Bad eating habits
Young people in today’s device-driven society are prone to establishing undesirable habits, one of which is watching TV while eating.
Children should sit with other family members at meals, according to preschool teachers, so that they learn to appreciate food rather than just devour it. Meals eaten together as a family are a good habit to form and a healthy way to enhance ties.
3. Distracted brain signals
Much medical research has demonstrated that the human brain notices the internal digestion of diverse foods and sends the information via taste and palate satisfaction.
When you’re distracted when eating, though, your focus wanders and your brain becomes distracted, sending out wrong signals that could lead to hunger or overeating.
4. Low metabolism
Watching TV during a meal does not help you burn calories; rather, it reduces your metabolic rate, causing your food to digest more slowly.
5. Indigestion
When children eat their meals in front of the television, they may get indigestion. This happens because kids are more focused on the film than on what or how much they are ingesting, according to Playschool professors.
Breaking the habit in your kid: How to stop eating while watching TV
Photo by Alex Green from Pexels
How can you break the habit and save your kid from these side effects?
- Gradually cut screen time. This can be accomplished by starting meals without the iPad/tablet and gradually increasing the amount of time spent without a screen before needing to watch cartoons.
The negative is that your child will be aware that the iPad is on its way and will either continue to ask for it or have a major tantrum if it arrives.
You can also cut it all together immediately. The key is consistency. Commit to this and do not give in.
- Turn off all screens before eating. Put all iPads and phones away before you set your child down. Sit with your child and interact with them throughout mealtimes. Play some music. Make sure they’re busy.
- Make sure you’re not distracted by the TV, your phone, or your laptop. Put away the electronics and give your child your entire attention so that he realizes that mealtimes are about food, family, and lots of bonding!
- It’s acceptable if your child yells and eats insufficiently at mealtimes due to a lack of screen time. Don’t give up just yet. You can always give him something to eat later, but not in front of the television. This will assist your child in breaking the connection between eating and watching television.
- If nothing else works and your child will not eat without the television on, you may want to consult a therapist or other professional.