8 The divisions of responsibility in feeding - how to take the battle out of meal times! - by Stéphanie Cyr, RD/Dt. P It’s 5:30 PM. You just finished preparing dinner, and the family is sitting at the table to eat. Your 3 year old says “Yuk! I don’t like that”. You think “but he was eating this last week”… Now, you’re feeling frustrated and tired. You’re thinking of just going back to the kitchen to grab his favorite cereal and give it to him for supper. Your little girl has not been eating many veggies these past few months, and you want to make sure she gets all the nutrition she needs to grow. When meal time comes around, you serve some carrots and broccoli. She refuses to eat them. You tell her “You have to eat your veggies or you can’t go play after lunch”. She starts crying… Do those meal time struggles sound familiar? Or maybe you can think of other challenging situation around feeding time? Well, know that you are not alone! Meal times can bring on many challenges for parents. Today, I’m sharing one strategy that may help bring back pleasant meal times into your home. It’s called The Satter Divisions of Responsibility in Feeding (sDOR). Developed by Ellyn Satter, Registered Dietitian and Family Therapist, the sDOR identify what your role is as a parent during meal times, and what’s your little kiddo’s. Let’s take a closer look! As the parent, you will take the leadership with the what, when and where of feedings. You will then let your kid determine how much and whether they chose to eat or not. Once children join the family’s meals and snack routine around 1 year of age, your job is to maintain the structure of family meals and snacks as they grow up.(1) Your job with feeding is to: • choose and prepare the food; • provide regular meals/snacks; • make meal times pleasant;
• be a good role model during meal times; • don’t let your child have food or beverages (except for water) between meals and snack times; • let your child grow into the body that is right for him or her(1). You will then trust that your little one will: • eat the amount he or she needs; • learn to eat the foods you eat(1). Other tips that can help you put the sDOR into practice: • When serving foods your child has not learned to like yet, make sure you serve at least one food your child does like (‘a safe food’) during meals and snacks. • Avoid any pressure during meals and snacks. For example, if your little one says they don’t want to eat the carrots, simply say “You don’t have to”. Instead, you can shift the conversation to things they enjoyed at school or what activities they liked.
When your next meal or snack comes around, give these tips a try. By implementing the sDOR you will honour your child’s feelings of hunger and fullness - a skill that will be valuable throughout their whole life! Want to learn more about the sDOR or other tips to help take the battle out of meal times? Visit the following Web sites: • www.ellynsatterinstitute.org • www.unlockfood.ca If you have questions or concerns about your child’s nutrition, don’t hesitate to discuss them with your doctor or Registered Dietitian. __________________ References: 1. Ellyn Satter Institute. Raise a healthy child who is a joy to feed. www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/how-tofeed/the-division-of-responsibility-infeeding/
