|
All children hit a phase at some point of pickiness. Maybe they start that way, maybe they start out eating anything and
everything and then suddenly they switch, or maybe the pickiness creeps up, slowly switching a normal eater to a picky eater.
But thru the course of teaching, babysitting and parenting, I have never met a child who did not have some picky habits at
some point.
Control
Pickiness is often a combination of maturing taste buds, hopefully to keep your child out of eating sand, and desire for control.
The maturing taste buds we can do nothing about, but the control we can help hand over safely. First by handing over the
spoon or fork, and second by handing over some control of what they eat.
Choices
Choices are a wonderful way to hand over control. In my house most snacks and meals are completly up to my children, from
an approved list. So long as their only options are healthy and in the house, I don't mind if they have an english muffin
every day for a week. But I don't hand over all the choices, If I will be eating the same thing, like dinner, I chose most
of the time, with input from all family members welcome. I also have a few tricks to get my kids to pick what I want. Course
I have found that dinner is the only time I have picky kids now! But I am not turning into a short order cook, breakfast
and lunch are no cook meals or minimal cooking required (and if I have to cook we all eat the same). I aim for balance between
me catering to their every whim and me controling it all.
One a day
I have a general rule that no meal or snack gets eaten more than once a day, so peanut butter for breakfast? Can't have it
for lunch or snack. The only thing we repeat is milk and water. I follow the same rule and it has made me a healthier eater.
Since I rarely have more than one kind of junk in the house I don't get to pig out quite as much as before!
Run out
Whenever I feel a certain item or meal has been eaten too much I run out, and don't buy more for a week or two or longer.
Balanced diet
All the tecnical data on how many grams of this or that, is mainly confusing and hard to keep track of while trying to run
a house and keep a kid happy. So I just use the old fashioned 4 food groups or the food pyramid. When my kids ask for one
thing for lunch I often suggest adding another item from a different group. So if they ask for bluberries I suggest blueberries
and a sandwich, or cereal, or something. Generally they are more than willing to go along with my item when they get theirs.
I also aim for balance in dinner, every night we have a vegetable of some sort. But my kids still often get to pick what
vegetable, either that or Daddy does.
Serving size
Children lookng at a mountain of food (and they make mountains out of molehills!) often feel overwhelmed. So even if I think
my child is in a growth spurt I do not pile the plate high, I put a small amount, teaspoon or table spoon of each item and
let them ask for seconds. I do insist that each thing be finished before more of anything is accuired, so even though my
steak loving son would love to fill up on steak I insist he finish the vegetables first (remember it was only a teaspoon of
each) usually he will with little or no complaint. I do not insist the children finish food they do not like, but I do insist
they try it.
Repeat exposure
Studies have shown that it takes several tries for most children to be willing to try something new. And several more to
get them to like it. But more importantly to me, I watched my children gag on 'foul tasting' yogurt the first half a dozen
times, yogurt is now their favorite snack! I also had to eat things with onions myself before I finally prefer the taste!
(I still don't like the texture so I mince them very fine) However my son has had mashed potatoes a bazzilion times and
still doesn't eat them. Maybe he will later, I still like them so he will keep getting chances to try.
Earlier, continuous exposure
The earlier a child is exposed to variety the more likely they will eat a variety of food. The best possible way is for mom
to eat a variety of food and breastfeed. Breastmilk tastes slightly different based on what mom had to eat. Then keep it
up with a variety of foods for babies, but do keep up with the time between new foods to minimize the effects or dangers of
allergies. And lastly don't get lazy with an older child or toddler, I aim for a new food each week, or a rarly eaten food
at the least.
Fighting
In my experience fighting is generally pointless, it usually takes a small rebellion or temporary pickiness and escalates
it into a huge issue, making mealtimes a dreaded experience for both parent and child. I am certainly tempted to argue with
my children when I know they will come calling for more fod within minutes of refusing dinner. Or when I am certain that
they couldn't possibly be getting enough to survive. But at no time has fighting ever worked for me or any other parent I
know. Standing firm with simple rules (and tricks), and not getting upset does seem to help.
Back to health
|
