Got a picky eater? Well, you’re gonna love this! Now there are kids who are picky sometimes, and then there are kids who are picky, hands-down. Period. These are not the kids who turn down brussel sprouts the first time you serve them.
Identifying the true picky eaters
True picky eaters are the ones who only eat green apples, not the red ones, and have a fit when their brother sticks a banana in their face (which he does daily, just to torment.) They run away yelling, “You know I hate those!” They only eat sunflower seeds and croutons from the salad bar, and I’ve never met one yet that didn’t like cheese pizza.
As the parents of one of these little rugrats, you’ve tried the “broccoli first” approach, bribing, begging, threatening, and, eventually, you give in. You just want your kid to eat something that doesn’t have a cartoon character on the package. Is that too much to ask?
New studies reveal…
Finally weary parents, we have science on our side! According to a recent study, all that drama at mealtime is bad for our kids and won’t work anyway. Forcing kids to eat foods they don’t like can actually turn them into picky eaters later.
Dinner time battles can be a thing of the past! It’s okay if you take a moment to celebrate with me.
Mealtime tips for picky eaters
My pediatrician once told me, “Kids won’t starve themselves. Just offer him the healthiest foods that you know he likes and don’t let him just snack all day. When dinner time rolls around, he’ll eat enough. Relax.”
So I gave it a whirl. That was 13 years ago and you know what? He survived, and he is a perfectly healthy eater now. Still loves cheese pizza though. Who doesn’t?
Having a picky eater doesn’t have to be a stressful thing. Give yourself permission to relax a little. Make dinner time something they look forward to. Keep offering new foods, but don’t sweat it if they only stare at their plate. Give yourself the liberty to simply say, “You don’t have to eat it.”
Come on. Try it. The scientists said we could.
Get in enough food just to make sure they don’t land up licking your appliances down!
