Having a picky eater seems to be the norm these days. I’d almost dare to say that children between the ages of 2-7 more often than not wind up in the picky eater category. Why oh why the sharp jump in membership of The Picky Eaters Club during this time? Researchers believe it could be evolutionary. That way young “cave toddlers” wouldn’t walk around tasting every potentially dangerous thing in sight. Can you imagine? Still, there are far more factors involved here: genetics, personality, and family eating habits to name a few.
My son is no exception. He is a proud card carrying member of The Picky Eaters Club and I am a reluctant member by association, trying to sway my son in another direction. It all began at the ripe old age of 2. Previously my baby boy would gobble anything placed before him: peas, squash, avocados, blueberries, you name it. I was proud as could be, snapping up pictures of his cherub face smothered in green bean puree. Then at the age of 2, it was like a switch was turned off (or on, depending on how you look at it), and he was suddenly suspicious of everything that was placed before him.
Pancakes, orange juice, and chocolate milk seemed like the only foods acceptable to his new found sensitive taste buds.
This sent me in a crazy spin for awhile. I wondered what I had done. Certainly I must have caused this sudden disdain for all things considered healthy. I was convinced it was because I introduced bananas first. Or, that I failed to introduce the veggies in the proper order. Worse yet, I figured I must be missing the magic mommy touch. You know, I didn’t have the finesse to cajole, coerce. or otherwise threaten bribe my child to eat well.
I know (now) that none of that is true. He is five now and I finally took a step back and realized there is only so much I can do. I can’t force feed the kid. Although I admit, the thought had crossed my mind. I finally made a mental list of the things I could do and stuck to those. The rest is up to him and his discerning palate.
- I continue to offer him his daily dose of veggies. All I ask is that he give them a try. It’s up to him whether or not he eats the rest. Did you know it can take up to 10-15 times of being offered a new food before a child will try it? Except, in my son’s case, it’s more like a 100 times…I’m still waiting.
- He’s old enough to understand that his body requires a balanced diet. We talk to him about needing protein, fiber, and the good vitamins found in fruit and veggies. He gets it. Hopefully one day it will sink in enough to not gag at the mere sight of broccoli.
- Getting upset at him because he won’t eat the peas on his plate won’t make him want to eat those peas. He knows that he must taste them. Then, we move on. No long drawn out bribing session. We do encourage and praise his efforts though.
- I have to admit I still do modify his meals somewhat. If we’re having spaghetti and meat sauce, he gets plain spaghetti with Parmesan cheese and a side of chicken. This is a kid who used to scarf down spaghetti and meat sauce at 18 months old…and yes we have a picture of that too!
- Him being a picky eater has nothing to do with my mothering ability. Thankfully my daughter taught me this. At age 3, she is a much more adventurous eater and will gladly eat carrots, broccoli, edamame, and tomato soup. I can’t take credit for that either. Just the luck of the draw really.
- I remind myself to look at the big picture. Instead of dissecting what he eats at each meal, I look at how he eats over the course of the week. Some days are better than others but overall, I am usually surprised to discover that he covers most of the dietary bases.
He continues to broaden his food horizons over time. It’s not overnight and I give him a multi vitamin to fill in the gaps. I hope someday he will allow a green vegetable past the obligatory “no thank you” bite. However, I am confident that his membership in The Picky Eaters Club is not lifelong.
So my fellow reluctant members of The Picky Eaters Club, take heart, it won’t last forever. I promise. One day you’ll wake up and find your formerly picky eater can’t get enough of your famous beef stew with peas and carrots.
Are you dealing with your own picky eater? Have you found ways to enjoy mealtime in spite of it?
My twins take after their father and joined the picky eaters club around 18 months old. They are now 4 and not much has changed in what they eat. They do get multivitamins to make up the difference but their Pediatrician assures me they are health.
I no longer fight their eating habits. My husband slowly improves with age and I figure my boys will too. It was a shock to me after having 3 older children who ate almost everything I sat in front of them! Thanks for this post, at least I know I am not alone.
My twins take after their father and joined the picky eaters club around 18 months old. They are now 4 and not much has changed in what they eat. They do get multivitamins to make up the difference but their Pediatrician assures me they are health.
I no longer fight their eating habits. My husband slowly improves with age and I figure my boys will too. It was a shock to me after having 3 older children who ate almost everything I sat in front of them! Thanks for this post, at least I know I am not alone.
i used to marvel at what my son would eat as a baby. now? if it's not meat…he's not interested. we do the “you have to try one bite” veggie rule. he'll sit there and drag out that one bite….gagging and being all overly dramatic. it'd almost be amusing if it wasn't so frustrating. i know that one day he'll be cool with the green beans and whatnot….i just don't know if my dinnertime routine will survive until that day!
i used to marvel at what my son would eat as a baby. now? if it's not meat…he's not interested. we do the “you have to try one bite” veggie rule. he'll sit there and drag out that one bite….gagging and being all overly dramatic. it'd almost be amusing if it wasn't so frustrating. i know that one day he'll be cool with the green beans and whatnot….i just don't know if my dinnertime routine will survive until that day!
This is a really well written post and I think it has even more credibility because you're a ped.
My son would eat entire bratwurst at 15 months. By 18 months, next to nothing. He actually was diagnosed as a “limited” eater, which is way worse than picky, apparently. I spent years doing exactly w hat you describe. Bribing, cajoling, beating myself up, making mealtimes miserable. The kid was never remotely underweight or undernourished (of course, me making the big mistake of preparing separate meals didn't help).
Right around kinder, he started to branch out a bit. We would issue a little reward when he tried a new food. This year, at age 7, we've relaxed our pressure on him considerably and it's paying off in spades. He eats entire heads of broccoli (I thought I would cry). He eats edamame. Steak. Chicken. Pork. Tacos. I'd say his diet portfolio has increased 800%.
We still have a long way to go (can't get him to eat red sauce), but I agree so much that the more pressure you place on the child and yourself, the more time and energy you needlessly waste. If I had to do it over again, I'd completely do it differently.
And never, ever make separate meals. My goal for 2011 is to eliminate them all
This is a really well written post and I think it has even more credibility because you're a ped.
My son would eat entire bratwurst at 15 months. By 18 months, next to nothing. He actually was diagnosed as a “limited” eater, which is way worse than picky, apparently. I spent years doing exactly w hat you describe. Bribing, cajoling, beating myself up, making mealtimes miserable. The kid was never remotely underweight or undernourished (of course, me making the big mistake of preparing separate meals didn't help).
Right around kinder, he started to branch out a bit. We would issue a little reward when he tried a new food. This year, at age 7, we've relaxed our pressure on him considerably and it's paying off in spades. He eats entire heads of broccoli (I thought I would cry). He eats edamame. Steak. Chicken. Pork. Tacos. I'd say his diet portfolio has increased 800%.
We still have a long way to go (can't get him to eat red sauce), but I agree so much that the more pressure you place on the child and yourself, the more time and energy you needlessly waste. If I had to do it over again, I'd completely do it differently.
And never, ever make separate meals. My goal for 2011 is to eliminate them all
I love this post. I don't have little children any more – but do have a grandson on the way whose Mommy is the pickiest eater I have ever encountered. As an adult (my daughter in law) thinks toaster streudel and chocolate milk is a healthy breakfast for her pregnant self. As a rule, she eats chicken ( in tender or nugget form only), pizza ( pepperoni only) and mashed potatos with no gravy or adornment whatsoever.
My fear is that my grandson will be picky simply because she is. The odds of her even offering veggies or fruits to him are so low I fear for him nutritionally.
How do you help an adult, and soon to be Mom understand that this is something she needs to change not only for herself but for her (almost here) baby?
I definitely have a member at my house. Ellie eats peas -out of a can only, pasta with sprinkle cheese, any fruit, pancakes and bread and butter. She will only drink milk and motts for totts apple juice. If you dare to give her fruit punch she will act as though she is being poisoned.
I do buy the barilla pasta plus with the added protein and she takes a vitamin. We talk about her out “going on an adventure” everyday and sometimes it works but most of the time it doesn't.
We got a 2-year old member of “the club” here! I think that, overalll, she does okay but there are days when I wonder how she has any energy becuase she eats NOTHING! I use differnt cookie cutter shapes, fun straws, plates, etc….and try and entice her to eat that way. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Good post!
We got a 2-year old member of “the club” here! I think that, overalll, she does okay but there are days when I wonder how she has any energy becuase she eats NOTHING! I use differnt cookie cutter shapes, fun straws, plates, etc….and try and entice her to eat that way. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Good post!
My daughter used to eat all of her veggies and then became a little more picky at around two also. But when I see her friends who are really members of the picky eaters club I realize that she is a pretty great eater in comparison. I think you are right about it being the luck of the draw. Hang in there and try your best to sneak those vegetables in the meals. It is am art. Ha! Have a great day!
Mama Hen
My daughter used to eat all of her veggies and then became a little more picky at around two also. But when I see her friends who are really members of the picky eaters club I realize that she is a pretty great eater in comparison. I think you are right about it being the luck of the draw. Hang in there and try your best to sneak those vegetables in the meals. It is am art. Ha! Have a great day!
Mama Hen
One other thing to keep in mind about a picky eater is that his/her body may be telling him/her something.
For example, the child who will only eat dairy and wheat products may be dealing with digestive and/or neurological issues (such as children on the autism spectrum disorder)where they crave these foods for the way it makes them feel.
Other children may not be able to tolerate some foods and react to how their body feels after eating a type of food (consider food intolerance, allergies and celiac disease).
They say the best thing you can do is not make food a battle. It sounds like you're doing that. Just have your kid try something because they might just like it! My daughter wasn't too horrible in this regard, but her taste buds did get more restricted when she was 2. But after she turned 5, she's finding that she is enjoying a broader range of food now. She's definitely game to try new things, so I'm pleased about that!
They say the best thing you can do is not make food a battle. It sounds like you're doing that. Just have your kid try something because they might just like it! My daughter wasn't too horrible in this regard, but her taste buds did get more restricted when she was 2. But after she turned 5, she's finding that she is enjoying a broader range of food now. She's definitely game to try new things, so I'm pleased about that!
Kate went through this for sure, though now she's opened her eyes to a lot more types of foods.
I couldn't tell you if Maddie is picky or not; we're limited so much by her fructose/sweetener intolerance that there are only so many things she can eat.
Kate went through this for sure, though now she's opened her eyes to a lot more types of foods.
I couldn't tell you if Maddie is picky or not; we're limited so much by her fructose/sweetener intolerance that there are only so many things she can eat.
I have a former-good-eater-turned-picky, too. Since he was my first, I was naive enough to think I had done such a good job when he ate everything we put in front of him. Turns out, as you say, it's luck of the draw and related to a whole host of factors, the least of which is my mothering ability.
We have a similar approach at our house. I do modify their meals slightly – the kids eat what we're eating, but I might separate theirs instead of serving combined (mine likes his pasta sauce on the side, for example). We also operate on the “You Get What You Get” principle. I make sure there's always something they will eat so they get nourishment, but I don't offer substitutions and they can't ask for something different.
It's a daily adventure… I just keep thinking I have teenage, fridge-raiding boys ahead of me still and then it will be whole different set of issues!
I have a former-good-eater-turned-picky, too. Since he was my first, I was naive enough to think I had done such a good job when he ate everything we put in front of him. Turns out, as you say, it's luck of the draw and related to a whole host of factors, the least of which is my mothering ability.
We have a similar approach at our house. I do modify their meals slightly – the kids eat what we're eating, but I might separate theirs instead of serving combined (mine likes his pasta sauce on the side, for example). We also operate on the “You Get What You Get” principle. I make sure there's always something they will eat so they get nourishment, but I don't offer substitutions and they can't ask for something different.
It's a daily adventure… I just keep thinking I have teenage, fridge-raiding boys ahead of me still and then it will be whole different set of issues!
This is tough. I had one son whose pickiness was directly related to his stubbornness for awhile. It wasn't a food thing, it was a control thing! He's great now, though.
I often say it took four for me to get it right. My fourth son is the best, most adventurous eater ever!
Exactly! This is exactly what it is like in our house. Our happy eaters turned into non-eaters. It's been terrible. They cry, gag, hide, anything to avoid food that isn't chicken, hot-dogs, or apple slices. I used to promise myself that I wouldn't have picky eaters, and then realized that there is nothing I can really do about it except keeping making a variety of foods available to them.
Exactly! This is exactly what it is like in our house. Our happy eaters turned into non-eaters. It's been terrible. They cry, gag, hide, anything to avoid food that isn't chicken, hot-dogs, or apple slices. I used to promise myself that I wouldn't have picky eaters, and then realized that there is nothing I can really do about it except keeping making a variety of foods available to them.
I hear you loud and clear on this one. Since my little boy turned two, I have experienced the same thing. He only likes eating certain foods…and, since he now knows what cookie and cake is…he does go searching through the pantry. I'm forever thinking about clever ways to get him to eat his fruits and veggies. I find that smoothies work wonders. I'll blend some yogurt, stawberries, and milk–and sometimes even add a few vegetables like carrots to the mix. He loves them and doesn't even know what's in his favorite concoction.
I hear you loud and clear on this one. Since my little boy turned two, I have experienced the same thing. He only likes eating certain foods…and, since he now knows what cookie and cake is…he does go searching through the pantry. I'm forever thinking about clever ways to get him to eat his fruits and veggies. I find that smoothies work wonders. I'll blend some yogurt, stawberries, and milk–and sometimes even add a few vegetables like carrots to the mix. He loves them and doesn't even know what's in his favorite concoction.
My family's nanny has a 6mo old who is just now learning about new foods. He'll eat anything, and it makes me long for the days when my boys would do the same. Just this morning, I was telling my guys about how they used to love sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, peaches…and on and on and on. They just giggled and said, “Gross!” and turned around to eat their pancakes.
One day, when our kids are teenagers, and they're eating us out of house and home, maybe we'll long for their picky years, too. 😉
My family's nanny has a 6mo old who is just now learning about new foods. He'll eat anything, and it makes me long for the days when my boys would do the same. Just this morning, I was telling my guys about how they used to love sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, peaches…and on and on and on. They just giggled and said, “Gross!” and turned around to eat their pancakes.
One day, when our kids are teenagers, and they're eating us out of house and home, maybe we'll long for their picky years, too. 😉
Similar story… My son would eat ANYTHING as a young toddler. One day his grandfather was visiting and remarked on how he was a much better eater than other of his other grandkids and I swear, the next day the child STOPPED eating! I was NOT a picky eater as a child, so this was new for me and especially frustrating because I was the only adult in the house, so I was cooking these great meals that I loved and I was the only one eating them! Mealtime was SUCH a battle.
It's gotten better. My son is 8, my daughter (who's also always been better, but still picky) 6.5 and they will both eat a “no thank you” bite and are trying new things…Heck, last night, once I put a tablespoon of shredded cheddar on top, they ate butternut squash soup! SCORE!
Similar story… My son would eat ANYTHING as a young toddler. One day his grandfather was visiting and remarked on how he was a much better eater than other of his other grandkids and I swear, the next day the child STOPPED eating! I was NOT a picky eater as a child, so this was new for me and especially frustrating because I was the only adult in the house, so I was cooking these great meals that I loved and I was the only one eating them! Mealtime was SUCH a battle.
It's gotten better. My son is 8, my daughter (who's also always been better, but still picky) 6.5 and they will both eat a “no thank you” bite and are trying new things…Heck, last night, once I put a tablespoon of shredded cheddar on top, they ate butternut squash soup! SCORE!
We finally went for your strategy. She doesn't have to eat it all, she does have to taste everything. This often yields a big thumbs down or “this is yuck” reaction, but she willingly tries everything.
It's better than what we had before!
For now, my daughter who just turned 1 is willing to try everything we place in front of her. Only, the amount of food and milk she takes in has lessened a bit. I figure it's a phase and kids go through it. I'll talk about it with her ped on Saturday when we go for her 1 year check-up to make sure.
I hope that if and when she goes through the picky eater stage, she will eventually get out of it, unlike my husband who never did. It's funny how when you were talking about cajoling, coercing or bribing your child to eat his veggies, I think back to the times I try to do the same to my husband! LOL.
For now, my daughter who just turned 1 is willing to try everything we place in front of her. Only, the amount of food and milk she takes in has lessened a bit. I figure it's a phase and kids go through it. I'll talk about it with her ped on Saturday when we go for her 1 year check-up to make sure.
I hope that if and when she goes through the picky eater stage, she will eventually get out of it, unlike my husband who never did. It's funny how when you were talking about cajoling, coercing or bribing your child to eat his veggies, I think back to the times I try to do the same to my husband! LOL.
My kids aren't really picky eaters. Except for my oldest's hatred of pizza. Bizarre, I know.
I don't fight my kids on food- I put it on their plates and don't stress about what they eat or don't.
My kids aren't really picky eaters. Except for my oldest's hatred of pizza. Bizarre, I know.
I don't fight my kids on food- I put it on their plates and don't stress about what they eat or don't.
Great post!
Only of my kids is an adventurous eater, and another one barely eats anything. The other two tend to go in cycles. As babies they would eat anything, as toddlers they tended to stick to favorites, around kindergarten they got a little more adventurous, and then as tweens they stopped eating many of the foods they previously ate.
My policy is to cook one dinner for the family. They can eat it (or not), but they won't be given anything else until breakfast.
Great post!
Only of my kids is an adventurous eater, and another one barely eats anything. The other two tend to go in cycles. As babies they would eat anything, as toddlers they tended to stick to favorites, around kindergarten they got a little more adventurous, and then as tweens they stopped eating many of the foods they previously ate.
My policy is to cook one dinner for the family. They can eat it (or not), but they won't be given anything else until breakfast.
I'm desperate need of help here. DESPERATE, so anyone please share what I can do. Yes, my children are picky but my 20 mo old is out.of.control. She doesn't eat anything. I can give her the following: nutrigrain bars, goldfish, pretzels, pita chips, chocolate chip cookies and M&M's. Did you get the whole list? On occassion she'll eat part of banana, 2 bites of whole milk yogurt, a pancake, and a bagel thin toasted. She won't eat anything that is a tiny bit slimy to the touch. I'm really worried. She does drink whole milk though. Anyone tell me how to get her to eat.
I'm desperate need of help here. DESPERATE, so anyone please share what I can do. Yes, my children are picky but my 20 mo old is out.of.control. She doesn't eat anything. I can give her the following: nutrigrain bars, goldfish, pretzels, pita chips, chocolate chip cookies and M&M's. Did you get the whole list? On occassion she'll eat part of banana, 2 bites of whole milk yogurt, a pancake, and a bagel thin toasted. She won't eat anything that is a tiny bit slimy to the touch. I'm really worried. She does drink whole milk though. Anyone tell me how to get her to eat.
Great tips! I'm following you through Mama's Little Nestwork. Hope to see you around my blog sometime!
http://vandylandmommy.blogspot.com
Great tips! I'm following you through Mama's Little Nestwork. Hope to see you around my blog sometime!
http://vandylandmommy.blogspot.com
The best appetizer for dinner is a hungry belly, I say. Let 'em starve. They won't.
The best appetizer for dinner is a hungry belly, I say. Let 'em starve. They won't.
Oh. My. God. My 4.5 year old? He eats Mac & Cheese (Kraft), Hummus, Crackers, Beans & Rice, Slices of cheese (must be rectangular off a block, straight and not thicker or thinner on one side), English Muffins… and sweets. It drives me nuts.
I feed him ZBars which are like protein bars for kids, he thinks they are like candy bars. He gets juice that has vegetables hidden in it. We've done puree in the pudding and mac & cheese. It's crazy. We keep offering him other things, and I figure when he's a little bit older we'll be able to do 'just one bite' a little more effectively.
Oh. My. God. My 4.5 year old? He eats Mac & Cheese (Kraft), Hummus, Crackers, Beans & Rice, Slices of cheese (must be rectangular off a block, straight and not thicker or thinner on one side), English Muffins… and sweets. It drives me nuts.
I feed him ZBars which are like protein bars for kids, he thinks they are like candy bars. He gets juice that has vegetables hidden in it. We've done puree in the pudding and mac & cheese. It's crazy. We keep offering him other things, and I figure when he's a little bit older we'll be able to do 'just one bite' a little more effectively.
What a great post–thanks! My daughter is 7, and all I hear is how she doesn't like dinner.
I am now following you. Great site!
What a great post–thanks! My daughter is 7, and all I hear is how she doesn't like dinner.
I am now following you. Great site!
Oh boy, can I relate to this, Melissa! I have two very picky eaters, especially my son. My son has cystic fibrosis and because he had so much reflux prior to getting a diagnosis, he developed oral aversion, so basically, as you know, he didn't want anything near his mouth. It took about 2 years of feeding therapy to get him to eat somewhat normally. He is still very picky about textures and doesn't like to try new foods. All your suggestions are right on! The more you make it a power struggle, the more you lose. As always, you give great advice. ;0)
Oh boy, can I relate to this, Melissa! I have two very picky eaters, especially my son. My son has cystic fibrosis and because he had so much reflux prior to getting a diagnosis, he developed oral aversion, so basically, as you know, he didn't want anything near his mouth. It took about 2 years of feeding therapy to get him to eat somewhat normally. He is still very picky about textures and doesn't like to try new foods. All your suggestions are right on! The more you make it a power struggle, the more you lose. As always, you give great advice. ;0)
My first eats anything and everything. She's the baby that grabs curry, wasabi, anything off your plate and doesn't blink. My second has major texture aversions to foods. It's taken a year of methodical effort to expand his comfort zone passed pancakes and baked goods. He still flips out a bit if beans aren't cooked exactly like at Chipotle, but we're making progress. If all else fails, I scrape his plate into the food processor, add half a banana, and call it a smoothie. Gross, but I gotta feed the toddler without losing my mind.
My first eats anything and everything. She's the baby that grabs curry, wasabi, anything off your plate and doesn't blink. My second has major texture aversions to foods. It's taken a year of methodical effort to expand his comfort zone passed pancakes and baked goods. He still flips out a bit if beans aren't cooked exactly like at Chipotle, but we're making progress. If all else fails, I scrape his plate into the food processor, add half a banana, and call it a smoothie. Gross, but I gotta feed the toddler without losing my mind.
Wow this is a post I think every mom can relate to! My favorite moment of our picky eaters club is when my hubby bought “spring mix” salad; you know, curly, spiky lettuce and purple stuff! My son asked if he was on “Fear Factor”!
I posted some tips about this subject that may help with finicky eaters:
http://simplysandwich.net/?p=147
Good luck! =)
Wow this is a post I think every mom can relate to! My favorite moment of our picky eaters club is when my hubby bought “spring mix” salad; you know, curly, spiky lettuce and purple stuff! My son asked if he was on “Fear Factor”!
I posted some tips about this subject that may help with finicky eaters:
http://simplysandwich.net/?p=147
Good luck! =)
My boys and I watch Bizarre Food with Andrew Zimmern. They love it! It's very effective too! Nothing I can cook compares to fried beetles! lol! They will try anything so long as it didn't crawl right on to their plates!
Growing up we had the “No, thank you Club”. We had to try the food but then we could say “No, thank you” after that. This worked very well for my older two and they have become adventuresome eaters. My youngest, (sigh) has been a vegetarian since baby years. It's a texture issue with him, too. I've had to let this go because he is so healthy. Maybe he would have had allergy issues otherwise….ah well, here's to picky eaters!
Growing up we had the “No, thank you Club”. We had to try the food but then we could say “No, thank you” after that. This worked very well for my older two and they have become adventuresome eaters. My youngest, (sigh) has been a vegetarian since baby years. It's a texture issue with him, too. I've had to let this go because he is so healthy. Maybe he would have had allergy issues otherwise….ah well, here's to picky eaters!
Isis has started being more of a picky eater lately & we're kinda struggling with it – trying to offer her stuff each day or mix things she doesn't like so much with cereal & then slowly each day doing less cereal mixed with it. That's worked with some stuff. I'm hoping that maybe when I can talk to her & she'll understand that it'll get better?? But we'll just see…haha At least I'm not alone!
Isis has started being more of a picky eater lately & we're kinda struggling with it – trying to offer her stuff each day or mix things she doesn't like so much with cereal & then slowly each day doing less cereal mixed with it. That's worked with some stuff. I'm hoping that maybe when I can talk to her & she'll understand that it'll get better?? But we'll just see…haha At least I'm not alone!
Unfortunately, I'm also a member of the Picky Eater Club. I did my best to introduce a large variety of foods to my kids. I would even eat foods I normally would not, so I could encourage my children to at least try it. I often wonder if the kids will ever get tired of mac and cheese.
Unfortunately, I'm also a member of the Picky Eater Club. I did my best to introduce a large variety of foods to my kids. I would even eat foods I normally would not, so I could encourage my children to at least try it. I often wonder if the kids will ever get tired of mac and cheese.
New reader here, and I'm so glad to find your site! As a psychologist who specializes in eating disorders, and a mom of two, your advice in this piece is great. Forcing the issue of food can lead to some terrible consequences, so sometimes the most we can do is offer up a wide variety of things and keep our fingers crossed. And eat our own veggies, as well. Glad to have found you!
New reader here, and I'm so glad to find your site! As a psychologist who specializes in eating disorders, and a mom of two, your advice in this piece is great. Forcing the issue of food can lead to some terrible consequences, so sometimes the most we can do is offer up a wide variety of things and keep our fingers crossed. And eat our own veggies, as well. Glad to have found you!
Great post! I am a Registered Dietitian in a community health setting, and have a lot of parents come to me for nutritional counselling on how to feed their picky eaters. Although I am not yet a mother, I strongly believe that if you stick to the division of responsibility-that parents decide what, when and where to feed their children, and allow your child to decide how much to eat or whether to eat at all, your child will be a healthier eater throughout life.
I will actually be posting about picky eaters on my own blog in the next few days.
http://www.memoirofmotherhood.blogspot.com
Great post! I am a Registered Dietitian in a community health setting, and have a lot of parents come to me for nutritional counselling on how to feed their picky eaters. Although I am not yet a mother, I strongly believe that if you stick to the division of responsibility-that parents decide what, when and where to feed their children, and allow your child to decide how much to eat or whether to eat at all, your child will be a healthier eater throughout life.
I will actually be posting about picky eaters on my own blog in the next few days.
http://www.memoirofmotherhood.blogspot.com