Family Feeding Practices of Parents on Prince Edward Island: A Focus on Responsive Feeding

The home environment and parental influence are strong predictors of eating behaviours in young children and can influence healthy development. The objective of this study was to describe the feeding practices of a sample of families on Prince Edward Island. Eleven parent participants were recruited, one-on-one interviews were held, and a thematic analysis was conducted. Conversations with parents revealed that the family feeding environment is influenced by a multitude of factors that change daily and need to be navigated based on the age of the child. Parents saw family meals as time together and an opportunity to model healthy eating behaviours; however, they faced several challenges at mealtimes, including perceived picky eating. Parents recognized their children's hunger and satiety cues, although they respected satiety signals more often if children ate what they perceived as a lot of food. Many parents used food as a reward to encourage their children to eat more but recognized that it could lead to the development of undesirable habits. Despite the complex factors that influence feeding, dietitians can work with families to foster a responsive feeding environment by encouraging family meals, recognizing and respecting hunger and satiety cues, and understanding typical changes in eating behaviours as children age.