It turns out that instilling manners in children from infancy is not the best decision for parents.
These are the conclusions reached by American scientists who decided to find out whether it is worth prohibiting small children from eating with their hands.
Experts from the University of Colorado worked on this issue. The results of the work were published on the website of the American Nutrition Society in Chicago.
Research details
The behavioral patterns of five-month-old infants who voluntarily refused breastfeeding were studied.
Their behavior was compared with a control group of infants.
Overall, the scientists found no difference in the amount of calories consumed by the children.
However, breast refusal was associated with increased height and weight gain compared with children who were weaned traditionally.
Conclusions
Scientists believe that self-feeding allows a child to provide the body with the necessary amount of nutrients.
As for the habit of eating with hands, on the contrary, it forms correct eating habits of the child.
In addition to choosing their favorite foods, children independently control the amount they eat.
Habit also teaches children to eat whole foods and chew them.
The main thing is that the products are no bigger than a child’s fist.
Earlier we talked about the mistakes parents make when teaching their children to count.
