Although a parent may be able to plan meals for a preschooler according to the four food groups, he or she may be unable to get the child to eat them. To provide successful diet counseling to the person caring for a preschool child, a nurse needs to discuss not only what to feed the child, but how to feed the child. In fact, what is often considered a child's eating problem may actually be a caregiver's feeding problem. In this article we will provide some answers to commonly encountered questions about getting children to eat. This information is based on our experience in working with advanced nursing students in community settings.