Mario (not the child’s real name) was enrolled in our infant care when he was 6 months old. He started eating solids such as rice cereal without milk, and vegetables & fruits puree. The teachers and I will encourage the parents to try to feed Mario the food served in our infant care before we start feeding him in school.

While Mario’s parents try to feed Mario the food served in our infant care at home, we continued to feed the cereal in school while we slowly omit one feed of milk and substitute it with half a bowl of cereal. This serves as a good transition for him to start eating the school’s porridge. In Josiah, we serve vegetable porridge for babies below 12 months old. We also feed them fruit puree after feeding them porridge. Once his parents have tried feeding him vegetable porridge and fruit puree served in our infant care at home, we proceed to feed Mario the school’s porridge and fruit puree in school. He ate and accepted the food and fruits served very well.

How picky eaters start to eat everything?

After two months of having his usual meal time routine, Mario suddenly rejected the porridge and only wanted to eat the fruit puree. We gave our observations and feedback to his parents about it and they mentioned that they also had the same issue at home. Mario’s parents asked for suggestions on how they could encourage him to get back on his diet. The teachers and I initiated to feed one spoon of porridge and a little fruit puree to get him back on the track. We also continuously spoke to him about the food served, and created small talks with him whenever we were feeding him. Thankfully, it worked. After one week, he was able to get back on his diet.

However, we realised that he became picky especially when there is broccoli in the porridge. He will start throwing up and crying when he tasted the broccoli. Mario’s parents were concerned about it as they faced the same issue with him at home. He totally rejected broccoli. I suggested steaming the broccolis and allow him explore with it during meal time. I have also shared with his parents to delay his feeding time so that he will be slightly hungrier and may possibly want to eat the porridge. After repeating it for a few weeks, he was able to accept it. Until now, he is able to accept all the food served in school.

How is Meal Time @ Josiah different from meal times elsewhere

Mario’s parents shared with us that they are very satisfied with our service and the way we encouraged their son to eat the school food. They shared with their colleagues about our meal time and his colleagues were surprised that we went the extra mile to try different ways to help Mario to eat well, instead of giving in to the child and let the child eat whatever he likes.

Brief description of meal times at Josiah

The babies/toddlers will usually have breakfast in the infant care. Types of breakfast served are milk, rusk biscuits, cereal and bread.

The babies/toddlers will have their own activities till the next meal time which is at 11am. To inculcate a thankful attitude towards provision of food, our teachers will also recite a thank you rhyme in English and Mandarin before their lunch. The toddlers will have their meal and then at 11.30am, the babies will have their meal time. The food served for babies/toddlers below 12 months old will be vegetables porridge and fruit puree. The toddlers will have chicken or fish porridge with fruit slices. Thereafter, they will have another two rounds of milk; one at 2.15pm and the other one is at 4.45pm, whereas the toddlers will have milk just before their nap, followed by tea break and 4.45pm milk feed.

We have received a lot of positive feedback with regards to eating habits of young children as a result of Meal Time @ Josiah.

At Josiah, we strongly believe in a balanced and healthy diet for our children. It is important that we cultivate a love for all kinds of food in our children not by force, but by constant encouragement. We believe that by showing love and encouragement to our children, they will grow from being a picky eater into a child who eats everything in moderation.

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Tel.: (+65) 6336 6906
Email: info@josiah.com.sg
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