Children’s Personality Influences When It’s Time To Eat

Tantrums and childish whims at eating time are well-known images in most homes. In fact, the table often falls apart in a great pitched battle. Not wanting to taste a certain food or taste another is not only linked to a custom or individual taste, but also to the children’s personality.

It has been proven that children’s personality influences when they eat. Let’s see in what sense.

Each child has particular characteristics and traits that differentiate them from the rest, that is, they grant a personality.

However, these attitudes do not just happen because they are children. But they are related to the characteristics that define it: to the children’s personality. The good thing about knowing this lies in being able to help them make decisions and knowing how to deal with these situations.

The child’s personality when eating

Children are exposed to food in different ways during their growth. If at the beginning of your life the staple food is milk, this changes and it is important that you include new flavors and eating habits in your life.

The relationship that the child establishes with food is what we call eating behavior. And it has to do with several issues: with the way she experiences the relationship with food in her family circle, with the availability of food and social status, with her tastes and with traditions. Therefore, it is not an isolated behavior or that happens without reason.

Children’s Personality Types

Let’s look at the different types of personality and character:

• The child who adapts to various situations and changes that take place. He is a happy person who has regular habits and can be predicted. He has an easy relationship with others and his level of attention is good.
• The child is very active and distracted. He withdraws from changing situations and often gives way to bad mood. It is more difficult to generate regular habits and tantrums when sleeping and eating are common. We say that we are facing a “difficult” child.
• Finally, the child who has a low activity level and finds it difficult to adapt to new situations and changes. They are sociable people and always seek parental acceptance.

What is the influence between personality and food?

There are studies that prove that both personality and emotions influence when to eat.

Anger, usually in difficult children, influences them at the table to be more demanding when it comes to tasting food.

Sadness or anxiety causes loss of appetite. On the other hand, the joy and tranquility of “easy” children make them better adapt to the variety of foods.

Generally, appetite problems are related to experiences associated with social and family interactions. Any problem experienced in your relationship with your parents or in your environment will influence hunger.

As this has to do with the emotional side, the child’s degree of sensitivity is linked to his personality. That is, one thing leads to another.

Refusing to taste the food, in turn, is associated with situations of overprotection and dominant personalities. With regard to this last trait, parents certainly have experience.

Children who reject food are identified according to some personality traits:

• Those who refuse to eat because of the texture or color of the food, the sensory children.
• Those who have perfectionist traits and when it’s time to eat have extra demands. It is the case of not mixing one food with others.

And what to do now?

The good thing about knowing this relationship is being able to identify the behaviors of children knowing that they are not just due to the fact that they are children. Personality influences when to eat. Age also plays a role, as it makes your relationship with food relaxed or exaggerated.

The solution depends on the interaction between the children’s personality and the food. It may be that the option is to accompany the child in another way as he/she grows up. Or also change some eating habits. In any case, patience is essential!