Feeding Your Child Using Division of Responsibility

Division of responsibility is a way of feeding children that takes the battle out of meal times and helps children stay in touch with their hunger levels.

From birth until your child is between 6 months and 1 year old:

• You are responsible for what your child eats.
• Your child is responsible for how much and how often they eat. (Feed your baby when they are hungry.)

When your child starts eating solid foods:

• You are responsible for what,when, and where your child eats.
• Your child is responsible for how much and even whether they eat.

Young children are good at listening to their bodies. They eat when they're hungry. They stop when they're full. When we try to control how much children eat, we interfere with this natural ability. Keeping this division of responsibility helps your child stay in touch with those internal cues.