Use of food to soothe preschoolers and feeding behaviors of mothers: a qualitative study

Parents can use food (sweets, junk food) and drinks to calm the child when their children are crying, bored, etc. With this method, children are more sensitive to external stimuli and prefer unhealthy foods more. Therefore this study was performed to reveal the use of food to soothe preschoolers and feeding behaviors of mothers having children aged 3–6 years. The study had a qualitative design and was conducted in preschools a western city part of Turkey. The study sample included 25 mothers having children aged 3–6 years. Data were collected at four focus group interviews. Two themes were emerged from the data analysis; i.e. reasons why mothers offer food to soothe their children and feeding behaviors. The mothers use food to regulate feelings of their children. They face problems while feeding their children and utilize several strategies to solve them. Mothers should be provided with information about using methods other than food to soothe their children when they whine or cry and with support to develop coping strategies. Preschools should offer education about child nutrition, feeding behaviors of parents and overcoming problems with feeding to parents and family members.