Ask the Experts: Help fussy eaters explore food
June O’Sullivan, Jeanie Lynch and Tracie Trimmer-Platman
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Our expert panel offers advice on children who are particular about what they eat, the "whole family" approach and sport as part of youth work.
Q: One of the two-year-olds who attends my nursery has become very fussy about her food here at the setting and even more so at home. Her parents are really worried. Any advice?
June O,Sullivan: Two-year-olds and fussy eating go hand in hand. For the most part it is because at this age children start to exert their independence and control of food is part of this.
At the age of two, children's growth slows a little, which affects their hunger levels. They also become more sensitive to taste and texture. Food fads pass quite quickly if staff and parents work together. The key is to stay calm and avoid mealtime battles. Don't take it personally - while children are rejecting the food they are not rejecting the person. This is a very important message for parents.
Sit with the children and make lunchtime a social time. Be friendly and relaxed. Encourage them to try everything and let them serve themselves. Children often take against a particular colour food or dislike food that is mixed together like stew, preferring different foods to be separate and not touching on their plates. Some children will only eat the same thing every day. If the choice is healthy then let them eat like this and widen their range at other times like breakfast, tea or snacks. Don't force a child to eat.
Involve them in cooking and put vegetables in the role play area so they can experiment with them in a relaxed, playful environment.
June O,Sullivan is chief executive of the childcare charity and social enterprise, the London Early Years Foundation
Q: One of my colleagues disagrees with my "whole family" approach to working with a young person. He believes my entire focus should be the young person alone. Who is right?
Jeanie Lynch: Many agencies, including youth and other children's services, have made a subtle shift to a "think family" approach. However, this is usually done in a way that means the child or young person remains the priority for the worker, at the same time as taking a wider view of the whole family's needs.
Some young people do benefit from the focus being entirely on them. But the reality is it can be really difficult to work with a young person alone without considering the whole family, and their role within it. For example, you may be working with a young person on anger management issues or self-esteem. You can use various techniques to help them but if the root cause is problems at home - such as domestic abuse or parental alcohol use - that are not being addressed then it will be harder to make progress.
Ideally you want to take a joined-up, multi-agency approach so different partners are working together to improve outcomes for all as well as meeting individual needs.
Jeanie Lynch has more than 20 years, experience working as a senior manager developing support for vulnerable children and young people
Q: I am a youth work student and have to undertake a placement over the summer where I will be assessed and supervised. I am primarily a sports tutor and teach children table tennis, football and badminton. However, I have been told I can't do any of these things in the placement as this is not youth work. I am really unhappy about this. What should I do?
Tracie Trimmer-Platman: Sports activities have been the foundation of some great youth work over the years and many youth workers have launched their careers in sport. Sport can facilitate youth work because of the relationships, skills and qualities that emerge as a result of being part of a team, learning to share, taking responsibility, being reliable and committed and learning to take part in competitive activities without aggression or dispute.
If you are dedicated to sports as a vehicle for youth work then talk to your mentors or tutors about how you would do this - articulating clear ways young people would benefit other than by participating in and developing sporting skills and knowledge. If you are able to deliver this argument robustly they may well reconsider your placement opportunity.
If, on the other hand, they are determined you should steer away from sport then see it as an opportunity to step out of your comfort zone. Use your team-building and coaching skills and techniques and apply them to working with young people in other ways. You will find out very quickly if young people like and respond to your style or not. If working with young people outside sports is not for you, better you find out sooner rather than later.
Tracie Trimmer-Platman is senior lecturer in youth and community work at the University of East London
Email questions, marked "Experts", to cypnow@markallengroup.com