Picky Eaters

 

It's no secret that kids can be picky eaters, but sometimes it's the parents that make their kids picky. When kids don't want what's for dinner some parents cater to their kids and get them something else to eat. Kids figure out pretty quickly that if they don't want something, Mom will just get them something else and therefore become picky eaters.

I always include something with dinner that I know my daughter will eat. We always have some sort of fruit or bread because those are two things I know I can't go wrong with. However, I make sure not to put any on her plate because I know that's what she'll go for first and then won't touch anything else. I first let her try the rest of the meal and then introduce the things I know she'll eat.

My husband and I have some strong opinions about certain types of food. He'll eat things that I think are awful and I'll eat things that he'd never touch. It's important that we don't put ideas into our child's head about what's good and gross. Although my husband doesn't like ketchup, it's okay for our kids to and just because I'm not a fan of celery doesn't mean our kids shouldn't have the opportunity to try it and maybe even enjoy it. If he says "gross" before she's even tasted ketchup then she already thinks it's going to be gross before her taste buds have a chance to decide.

It's normal for toddlers to only eat a few bites at meals. They still grow healthy and develop the way they should. It's important NOT to tell them they have to eat so many bites before they can get down or before they can have dessert. This can cause eating disorders by the time they're 8 years old. Instead, offer them smaller dessert portions. Say, "since you ate this much of your dinner, you can have this much dessert", but still allow them to have dessert with the rest of the family. And don't serve dessert every night.

Pay attention to how much your child eats across the week rather than per meal. One day they may eat a lot of fruit and not touch anything else, but then another day they may eat a lot of protein. You'll notice that when looking at a whole week, your child gets all the nutrients they need.

Preschool age kids are more likely to eat something if they helped prepare it. When introducing new foods for the kids to eat, let them help make it. They feel a sense of accomplishment when they see the end result of something they helped make. And when they see the whole process from start to finish they're more likely to taste it because they know how it started and what the finished product looks like. Plus kids learn all kinds of things while helping in the kitchen including math skills, vocabulary, science skills, social skills, and so on.

Eat meals together as a family. When your child sees the rest of the family eating it becomes a social gathering and they'll eat because everyone else is.

Provide your kids with choices. Give them two options and let them decide which item they would rather have for dinner. Then when it comes time to eat, remind them that they chose that to be included with dinner so they should eat some!

What are things you do to help your kids not become picky eaters?