Ellyn Satter's Division of Responsibility in Feeding

Parents provide structure, support and opportunities. Children choose how much and whether to eat from what the parents provide.

The Division of Responsibility for Infants:

The parent is responsible for what
The child is responsible for how much (and everything else)

The parent helps the infant to be calm and organized and feeds smoothly, paying attention to information coming from the baby about timing, tempo, frequency and amounts

The Division of Responsibility For Toddlers through Adolescents:

The parent is responsible for what, when, where
The child is responsible for how much and whether

Parents' Feeding Jobs:

Choose and prepare the food
Provide regular meals and snacks
Make eating times pleasant
Show children what they have to learn about food and mealtime behavior
Not let children graze for food or beverages between meal and snack times
Let children grow up to get bodies that are right for them

Fundamental to parents’ jobs is trusting children to decide how much and whether to eat. If parents do their jobs with feeding, children will do their jobs with eating:

Children will eat
They will eat the amount they need
They will learn to eat the food their parents eat
They will grow predictably
They will learn to behave well at the table

© 2007 Ellyn Satter. For a further explanation of the division of responsibility, see any of Ellyn Satter's four books; Your Child’s Weight: Helping Without Harming, Child of Mine: Feeding With Love and Good Sense, Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family, or How To Get Your Kid To Eat... But Not Too Much. May be reproduced for free distribution only. May not be modified in any way. Credit and further information lines must appear on each copy. For information on Ellyn Satter’s materials and programs, see www.EllynSatter.com or call 800-808-7976. Division of Responsibility in Feeding in PDF Format
Spanish Division of Responsibility in Feeding in PDF Format

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