What to do if your six-month-old baby refuses to eat complementary food

Some babies may be picky eaters. When their mothers prepare complementary foods for them, they don’t particularly like to eat. In fact, for such babies, mothers can add some milk powder to the complementary foods appropriately, so that the baby can smell the taste he likes and eat some of it more or less. There are many kinds of complementary foods suitable for babies. So what should I do if my six-month-old baby doesn’t eat complementary foods?

1. Not knowing how to eat

The reason why babies don’t like to eat complementary foods is probably that some babies are accustomed to using their skilled sucking movements to get food, but these new foods cannot be obtained by sucking, so the baby will have a sense of resistance. Therefore, parents can patiently feed the baby with a spoon several times to let the baby practice eating with a spoon.

2. Giving too much too soon

Sometimes parents tend to feed their babies complementary foods too quickly and hastily, which is not good. If you find that the baby has difficulty swallowing or that food is spilling, you should adjust the amount of food you feed each time, and give less per spoon to make it easier for the baby to eat.

3. Not to your taste

Sometimes the reason why babies don’t like complementary foods is that they are not interested in a certain type of complementary food. If they are fed a certain type of complementary food frequently, the baby will lack a sense of novelty and may even feel nauseous. If you give the baby innovative complementary foods, it will stimulate the baby’s appetite and you can also clearly understand the baby’s taste preferences.

4. The dining atmosphere is not pleasant

An unpleasant dining atmosphere will also affect the baby's dislike of complementary food. The baby will definitely eat more slowly during the complementary food period because the baby's teeth and swallowing function are not fully developed. If parents frown and scold the baby loudly or even force food on the baby, the baby will be even more reluctant to eat complementary food. Therefore, you can accompany the baby to play with toys while feeding the baby complementary food.

5. Increase your baby’s outdoor activities

The reason why babies don’t like complementary foods may be that they are not yet hungry. Parents can increase the baby’s household activities. With more exercise, the baby will be hungry and will naturally become interested in various foods.

6. Demonstrate how to chew food

Some babies, who are not used to chewing, will push the food out with their tongue. At this time, parents should demonstrate to their babies how to chew and swallow the food. You can slow down and try more times to give him more opportunities to learn.

7. Don’t comment on food in front of your children

Some mothers do not like a certain kind of food and will not buy it for their children to cook. Perhaps the mothers do not know that your baby will imitate the behavior of adults, so parents should not be picky about food or comment on the quality of food in front of their children, so as to avoid cultivating their habit of picky eating. If you want your children to not be picky about food, parents should start with themselves.