Encouraging A Child’s Sense Of Self Worth
Through Feeding Styles
Before 3 years of age, a child’s eating is driven by hunger.
However, by the time children are 3, parental cues influence
eating behaviors. Dr. Sheryl Hughes, a CNRC researcher, and her
colleagues have developed an instrument to identify feeding styles
in parents of low-income minority populations. Her research,
published in the January 2005 issue of Appetite describes the
process in the development of the “Caregiver’s Feeding Styles Questionnaire” (CFSQ).
“Many of the existing measures of child feeding have focused almost
exclusively on specific behaviors of European-American parents”,
states Hughes. “The CFSQ, in contrast, was developed specifically
to assess feeding styles among African-Americans and Hispanics.”
One goal of parenting is to help children determine their own sense
of self worth, recognizing that they can make wise decisions. This
takes practice by the child and encouragement by the parents.
Child-centered feeding practices such as reasoning, complimenting,
and helping the child to eat promotes the child’s sense of self worth.
Parent-centered practices such as demands, threats, and reward
contingencies do not.
The study identified feeding styles as child-centered and parent-centered.
By looking at the examples below, you can determine whether your
feeding style is more child-centered or parent-centered.
Child-centered feeding practices are when parents
- Say something positive about food
- Arrange the food to make it more interesting
- Ask questions about food
- Reason with the child to get him/ her to eat
- Allow the child to choose among appropriate foods
- Help children eat
- Compliment children
Parent-centered feeding practices are
when parents
- Physically struggle with the child to get him/her to eat
- Warn the child that the food will be taken away
if the child doesn’t eat
- Promise the child something other than food if he/she eats
- Spoon-feed children
- Tell the child to eat a small amount of food
- Show disapproval of the child for not eating
- Suggest the child eats
- Tell the child to eat something on the plate
- Beg the child to eat
Remember as children get older and parents are less available, it is
the child who will make decisions. Encourage those decision-making
skills as soon as possible.
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