It's funny. When Katie was a toddler, I could take her to any restaurant, and she would be the neatest eater at the table. And wow, she would eat almost anything. My boys are different. About a year ago, Noah stopped eating much of anything. For about 3 months, he would only eat a couple of things. I spoke with his speech therapist and his pediatrician, but they assured me that he would eat when he was ready. To suppliment, I began giving him Carnation Instant Breakfast daily. That way, he would get the nutrition he was lacking in his diet. To this day, he is incredibly picky, refusing to eat any fruit or vegetables, aside from what is in his chili and spaghetti.
When Aidan began Pre-K, I had to pack him a lunch because he was refusing to eat what they served him. At dinner, he would pick at everything. He's not as picky as Noah, but there are only certain foods he will touch. As a child, my parents would force me to sit at the table until I cleaned my plate. As a result, I refuse to touch seafood, even now. I don't want my kids to miss out on certain foods, so our rule is that you have to take at least one bite of everything on their plate. If they don't like it, they don't have to eat more, but this way, they are exposed to new foods and have the opportunity to develop their palates.
I just wish dinnertime wasn't such a battle of wills! At least Katie still eats very well and will clean her plate at just about any meal!
Sophia is my picky eater! The child is currently refusing to eat anything besides fruit. She'll eat oatmeal, but I have to mix it with prunes first. I am not looking forward to the toddler years with her with mealtimes.
ReplyDelete