Community Gathering
Solution Set – Community Gathering
Peer Exchange of Coaxing Strategies
![Peer exchange meeting](https://learning.breakthroughactionandresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Peer-Exchange-325-80x80.png)
Through facilitated discussion and sharing with peers, caregivers learn simple tactics to encourage the child to eat, see their peers using coaxing tactics, and practice coaxing together.
Relevant Design Objectives
- Inspire caregivers to view their child’s appetite as moveable
- Build skills and confidence to overcome limited appetite
- Refocus attention on what caregivers are able to do
![Coaxing strategy card, "Feed when baby is happy and alert"](https://learning.breakthroughactionandresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Sing-300.png)
How does it work?
Behavioral Challenges
While sick and recovering children often have limited appetite and sometimes refuse food when it is offered, caregivers commonly feel that they can do little to overcome limited appetite, whether during illness or other times. Some caregivers do not know or use many tactics to encourage their young child to eat. They may give up or resort to force-feeding, if they are unable to offer the young child’s favorite foods.
Solutions
Through a group activity led by a community health worker or other trusted figure, the peer exchange of coaxing strategies allows caregivers of young children to share and learn together how to encourage children to eat when their appetite is limited. Caregivers learn that appetite is moveable. Through exchanges and sharing with peers, caregivers learn simple tactics to encourage the child to eat. The session offers the opportunity to use coaxing tactics in practice. It builds concrete, practical skills that caregivers can put to use to coax effectively without force-feeding the child. This also inspires them to encourage their child to eat during illness and recovery trying different tactics and motivates them to continue to offer food and breastmilk at these times. The peer exchange aims to reach caregivers when their attention is more likely to focus: outside of the time of illness (when they are particularly overstretched), at a time when they may be more able to absorb new information, build skills, and learn from other caregivers. It builds skills and confidence to overcome limited appetite and shifts social expectations of what caregivers can and should do to encourage children to eat (Breakthrough ACTION & USAID Advancing Nutrition, 2022).
In Practice
In practice, caregivers gather in a group to participate in a facilitated activity. Together, caregivers learn and reflect on why it is important to encourage the child to eat when appetite is limited, including during illness and recovery. Caregivers share experiences and tips with each other. Sharing experiences, challenges, and advice about coaxing helps caregivers to envision it and choose strategies to incorporate into their own feeding practices. The facilitator teaches coaxing strategies using illustrated cards. Caregivers adapt a song from a local tune together to remember one tactic from the session.
Time Intervention Strategically
This is an example of a solution to overcome scarcity by timing intervention at a strategic time aiming to reach people outside of hectic and stressful times of illness when they may be more ready to build new skills. Go back to session 2 on scarcity, under the design implication section to discover other tactics.
When is the peer exchange of coaxing strategies a good fit?
Follow along on your Worksheet as you consider these questions.
If the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” then reminder stickers may be a good fit for your context. The solution materials are available in the: