Q: This is to inform you that our son is around 6 years old and is active and in good health. The main problem is that he is very fond of rice items and we insist that he has ragi / chapati at night. He refuses to take food but eats beyond limits at functions. Kindly give us some solution to solve this problem.

A:Everyone likes some foods more than others. This is true of children also. As parents, you should be sure that your son has enough of the food that is cooked at home and it should be healthy and suitable for the child. The kind of cereal (rice, wheat or ragi) you use is not always so important. But Ragi is good for health and is a source of iron, which makes the blood redder; and the child can be encouraged to eat it. However, when you force a child to eat something, he may be strong willed and refuse to eat it. You should also make sure that the child is the right weight for his height and age. Many families tend to let the children eat too much and think that being fat is being healthy. That is not true. However, if your son is active and healthy, there is no worry. You can introduce new foods gradually. He should also eat vegetables with every meal and one fruit at least a day, if it can be afforded. At meal times, do not spend the time only telling your son to eat. If you can talk to him or tell him something interesting, the food will go down quickly. But everything takes time and patience. Since you have made the effort to write to us, I hope you will also take some of this advice.