by Noa Miller, RDN
It's perfectly normal to snack on something yummy just because it's yummy and not because you're hungry. But if your child seems to be doing this frequently, it's worthwhile to take a look and examine why this might be happening. Here are some common causes:
Reason #1: Your Child Feels Restricted
What you can do:
Reassure your child that there will be plenty of fun food available throughout their lives
Keep fun-foods on the menu daily and consider having dessert on the menu sometimes as well
Practice serving fun food family-style (unlimited) at snack-time on occasion
Please do not:
Eliminate all fun food from your home
Prompt your child to eat less of certain foods
Pester your child about whether they are really still hungry
Reason#2: Your Child is Trying to Manage His/Her Emotions
What you can do:
Teach and model healthy coping skills
Teach a rich emotional vocabulary
Read children’s books about dealing with emotions
Seek advice from a therapist
Validate emotions
Help problem-solve
Teach/model self-care
Meet the need without food:
Sadness: soothe, give a hug
Anger: help set and maintain boundaries
Fear: protect from danger (we do not protect anxiety! A real danger must be involved)
Anxiety: help confront the anxiety-provoking situation with love and support
Please do not:
Dismiss emotional needs (some of us are more needy!)
Ignore emotional displays
Shame an emotional display (ex. Boy crying – I thought you were tougher than that)
Give treats to “fix” a boo-boo
Reason #3: Your Child is Bored
What you can do:
Provide structure to your child's day
Have child write a list of activities they can do when he or she is bored
Have times when kitchen is open and closed
Please do not:
Restrict food
References:
https://www.emotionfocusedfamilytherapy.org/steps-of-emotion-coaching/