Children´s refusal to eat meals at Early Childhood Education and Care Centre. Probable reasons.
Nijhawan, Vijay (2024)
2024
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024052013552
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024052013552
Tiivistelmä
The purpose of the thesis study was to find some information and reasons for some children´s disinterest in eating meals provided by the Finnish Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) with the help of a working life partner Finnish American Kindergarten in Helsinki and help the children who are resisting food and reluctant to eat to motivate them to get interested in food variety offered in ECEC premises and start eating slowly by trying out food items in small portions to develop healthy eating habits.
The information collected for the study using the qualitative methodology of research and a questionnaire was collected by keeping the parents' and educators' perspectives in mind about the children´s eating habits and possible reasons which was kept confidential throughout the study time by following the ethical guidelines. Information was collected, analysed, and evaluated by using themes and coding based on the responses received by the participants.
Parents want to work in full cooperation with the ECEC centre staff to help educate the child about the food ecosystem and introduce the child to a variety of food items at home for developing good and healthy eating habits. However, at home, they follow their own cultural and traditional meals. Similarly, the staff need the support of the parents to educate the children about developing healthy eating behaviour in children, while in ECEC centres they educate the child with the help of the intervention of different pedagogical methods.
The thesis results and suggestions will help the working life partner staff and parents cooperate to motivate children to educate and develop skills to understand the offered meals and its ecosystem.
This study question can help in future to study other options to understand the child´s behaviour for healthy eating and develop ideas to motivate children to follow healthy eating behaviours.
The information collected for the study using the qualitative methodology of research and a questionnaire was collected by keeping the parents' and educators' perspectives in mind about the children´s eating habits and possible reasons which was kept confidential throughout the study time by following the ethical guidelines. Information was collected, analysed, and evaluated by using themes and coding based on the responses received by the participants.
Parents want to work in full cooperation with the ECEC centre staff to help educate the child about the food ecosystem and introduce the child to a variety of food items at home for developing good and healthy eating habits. However, at home, they follow their own cultural and traditional meals. Similarly, the staff need the support of the parents to educate the children about developing healthy eating behaviour in children, while in ECEC centres they educate the child with the help of the intervention of different pedagogical methods.
The thesis results and suggestions will help the working life partner staff and parents cooperate to motivate children to educate and develop skills to understand the offered meals and its ecosystem.
This study question can help in future to study other options to understand the child´s behaviour for healthy eating and develop ideas to motivate children to follow healthy eating behaviours.