Feeding Your Child Using Division of Responsibility

Overview

Division of responsibility is a way of feeding children that takes the battle out of meal times and helps children stay in touch with their internal hunger gauge.

From birth until your child is between 6 months and 1 year old:

• You are responsible for what your child eats.
• Your child is responsible for how much and how often he or she eats. (Infants are fed on demand.)

When your child starts eating solid foods:

• You are responsible for what, when, and where your child eats.
• Your child is responsible for how much and even whether he or she eats.

Young children are good at listening to their bodies. They eat when they're hungry. They stop when they're full. When we try to control how much children eat, we interfere with this natural ability. Keeping this division of responsibility helps your child stay in touch with those internal cues.

Credits for Feeding Your Child Using Division of Responsibility

Current as of: March 1, 2023

Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
John Pope MD - Pediatrics
Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine
Rhonda O'Brien MS, RD, CDE - Certified Diabetes Educator

Note: The "printer friendly" document will not contain all the information available in the online document. Some information (e.g. cross-references to other topics, definitions or medical illustrations) is only available in the online version.

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