This week we had Registered Dietary Nutritionist, Jeanne Petrucci, from Living Plate present in our Parent Education Series on Raising Competent Eaters. The parents in attendance received some practical and very Montessori-friendly, advice including learning about the research-based method of feeding children endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics called Division of Responsibility in Feeding.
Like with the Montessori Method, the adult is responsible for providing the environment and choices that are acceptable for the child. The adult is the role model for good behavior and sets clear expectations for those behaviors.
In Division of Responsibility in Feeding, the parents are responsible for:
·What food is served
·When eating occurs
·Where eating is allowed
This means that the children are responsible for:
·How much to eat
·Whether or not to eat
The Division of Responsibility in Feeding method eliminates all need to cajole, bribe, threaten, or manipulate children into eating certain foods or amounts, methods that research has shown to actually worsen poor eating habits.
If you missed the presentation and would like more information, there are many resources available to learn about this method, including:
The Ellyn Satter institute http://ellynsatterinstitute.org/dor/divisionofresponsibilityinfeeding.php
Satter EM. The feeding relationship. J Am Diet Assoc. 1986;86:352-356. – See more at: http://ellynsatterinstitute.org/other/fdsatter.php#sthash.AT0pCgGa.dpuf
USDA, FNS. Maximizing the message: Helping moms and kids make healthier food choices. FNS-409. 2012 http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/corenutritionmessages/Maximizing.htm . – See more at: http://ellynsatterinstitute.org/other/fdsatter.php#sthash.AT0pCgGa.dpuf
