Picky eating kids can drive a sane mommy crazy. though it pains me to admit: after having three children, I’ve learned that I can not really control what a child will and won’t eat. but I do have influence over the options that are available, and so I focus on that. At the end of this post, I will share my battle-tested methods for taking care of picky eating children.
Background:
Before I try to boss you around, I want to share my picky eating credentials. Kid 1 was a pretty good eater and we were very neurotic, dedicated first-time parents (not that there’s anything wrong with that), hell-bent on getting him to eat every bite blob of food on his spoon. He ate a very healthy balance of fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins. as of age ten, he won’t eat cooked fruit (apple pie – WTW?!) or plain cheese pizza, preferring vegetables on his pizza to the point of pouting at parties where only cheese is available. He’s a little bit picky but mostly a excellent eater of lots of foods. and yes, we are those food a**holes who serve kale salads to our kids on the regular. kid 1 eats them with relish and wants to make sure we are appropriately massaging each leaf. (Not actual relish made of pickles.)
Kid 2 was also a pretty good eater from the start. rather than force the “clean your plate” mentality of our own childhoods, we had progressed as parents to encourage a “Try-It Bite” for every new food, and then left it up to him as to whether he would eat more. He was a frequent eater of frozen waffles and plain yogurt but also ingested a healthy combination of other foods. If anything, he opened up our eyes about a broader range of possibilities for nutritious foods. He prefers plain pizza to veggie, but he always eats the broccoli we offer on the side.
Kid 3 has been a picky eater from the womb. He was a voracious nurser that required formula supplementation nearly immediately. I must have known that we couldn’t rest on our good experience. He developed a penchant for dairy and carbs (plain cheese quesadillas and cheese pizza are his best foods) such that I couldn’t even get him to eat fruit without disguising it as a cracker (thanks to Trader Joe’s freeze dried strawberries, he now eats the real thing). The “Try-It Bite” has devolved into the “No-Thank-You Lick”. It took us 3-5 times of using ice cream before he would even put it to his lips. I’ve caught myself doing a delighted dance when he ate his first dinosaur-shaped chicken nugget, because he had never agreed to try chicken before!
Because our picky kid was our third kid, I had no choice but to accept this as a thing about HIM rather than a thing about ME. I am positive if my first child had been the one to turn up his nose at a grape or carrot, I would have blamed myself.
Having experienced two kids who will eat anything and one who will not, I have some mantras and reminders I give myself and my spouse to help us stay sane.
Tips for parents of selective eaters:
Remove all pressure around eating. I practice acting like I don’t care if the meal or dish is finished because I know my child will not go hungry. (See banana idea below.) say — and believe — “You don’t have to eat it.” You wouldn’t force me to eat a cilantro leaf, so don’t force your toddler.
Offer one safe food with every new food. We make sure that there’s a familiar dish on the table. Our dinner times typically include a seemingly random banana or waffle option for this reason. The kid might not try the new thing, but he won’t starve.
Only allow food at specified meal and snack times. Truth be told, I’m delighted enough if my kids fill up on healthy snacks. An apple ideal before dinner? ទៅពេលខាងមុខ។ but hell to the No, you may not eat a snack after the dinner if you just ignored it. The kitchen is closed and you will make it until morning.No candy and treats for children who don’t eat their real food. For real. I am hardcore this way.
Encourage good manners. With some meals — like the white bean chili I plan to serve tonight — I know that only my spouse and I will actually eat it willingly. It is my job to prepare healthy meals (every flipping day) and it is their job to be polite about it. They can sit without making faces and say “No thank you”, or “Just a little please.”
Be curious, not furious. If they do taste an icky food, I encourage my sons to become little scientists and check out further. I want them to think about why they didn’t like it — would cheese sauce make it better or worse? Is there a cilantro problem here? would you eat red sauce on the side next time? — and not be jerks.
Find creative ways to serve fruits and vegetables:Â Pinterest can be your pal and enemy when serving sandwiches that look like spiders or hummus-guacamole crocodiles but a little inventiveness can go a long way. two of my kids love roasted broccoli; Whitney served frozen peaches instead of popsicles with terrific success; little crispyសណ្តែកស្ងួតដែលបង្កកពិភាក្សាយ៉ាងអស្ចារ្យជាមួយការអស្ចារ្យជាមួយនំកែកឃឺរបស់ខ្ញុំ – ស្រឡាញ់កូនតូច – ស្អប់កូនតូច។ ក្មេងខ្លះគ្រាន់តែចូលចិត្តជ្រលក់ទឹកភ្លៀងផ្តល់ឱ្យពួកគេនូវការ៉ុតជាមួយ hummus; ការធ្វើឱ្យរលោងពណ៌បៃតងអាចជាអង្រួនអង្រួន; ដាក់ឪឡឹកឬឈីសនៅលើដុសធ្មេញមួយ; ព្យាយាមហុចចេកជាបង្អែមជាមួយនឹងម៉ាស៊ីនព្យាបាលផ្លែឈើយ៉ុនណាណា។ នេះគឺជាគំនិតជាច្រើនទៀតសម្រាប់ការធ្វើដំណើររបស់អ្នកដើរថយក់តម្រឹម។
សាកល្បងសីតុណ្ហភាពផ្សេងៗ។ ទន្ទឹមនឹងការពិសោធលើទិដ្ឋភាពទម្រង់ (ព័ត៌មានទី 6) ខ្ញុំបានដឹងថាមិនមែនក្មេងគ្រប់រូបចង់បានអាហារក្តៅឬត្រជាក់ទេ។ ខ្ញុំមានក្មេងម្នាក់ដែលស៊ីសាច់ពារាំងកកហើយមួយទៀតដែលចូលចិត្តចម្អិនពួកគេ។ មានភាពងាយស្រួល។ Whitney មានការភ្ញាក់ផ្អើលយ៉ាងខ្លាំងក្នុងការដឹងថាឃីដដូសរបស់នាងចូលចិត្ត Tortellini ត្រជាក់ (YAY អ្វីដែលថ្មីនៅក្នុងប្រអប់អាហារថ្ងៃត្រង់) ។ កូនរបស់ខ្ញុំគិតថាត្រជាក់ត្រជាក់ខ្លាំងពេកដូច្នេះខ្ញុំបានកំណត់ធាតុដែលញាក់ហើយប្រើសីតុណ្ហភាពបន្ទប់រៀននៅពេលខ្ញុំកំពុងចែករំលែកជាមួយគាត់។
គិតពីរូបភាពធំ ៗ នៅថ្ងៃសប្តាហ៍និងដំណាក់កាលជីវិត។ អាហារមានតុល្យភាពខាងអាហារបំប៉នមិនចាំបាច់ប្រើនៅគ្រប់អាហារតែមួយទេ។ តើវាមានតុល្យភាពក្នុងការដឹកទំនិញបានយូរជាងនេះទេ? តើគ្រូពេទ្យបារម្ភទេ? អណ្តូងរ៉ែមិនមែនទេដូច្នេះយើងកំពុងជ្រើសរើសវា។
ទទួលបានពួកគេចូលរួម។ កូនរបស់អ្នកប្រហែលជាត្រៀមខ្លួនជាស្រេចជាច្រើនទៀតដើម្បីសាកល្បងម្ហូបថ្មីដែលគាត់ដុះនៅលើសួនច្បារជ្រើសរើសពីផ្សារទំនើបឬជួយរៀបចំ។ ឬមិនមែន។ ឃីដរបស់ខ្ញុំបានច្រៀងអំពីការព្យាយាមចំណីអាហារថ្មីនៅពេលជ្រើសរើសប៉េងប៉ោះ cherry ពីសួនច្បាររបស់យើងហើយបន្ទាប់មកនឹងមិនភ្លក់ឡើយ។ បន្តទៅមុខទៀត។
ធ្វើបញ្ជីនៃអ្វីដែលកុមារនឹងបរិភោគ។ ជំនួសឱ្យការផ្តោតអារម្មណ៍លើអវិជ្ជមានបញ្ជីអាហារបាទ។ ខ្ញុំតែងតែតក់ស្លុតនៅពេលដែលឪពុកម្តាយហៅកូន ៗ របស់ពួកគេថាមានផាសុខភាពហើយបន្ទាប់មកបានផ្តាច់ចេញពីបញ្ជីអាហារដែលធ្លាក់ចុះដោយគ្មានបញ្ហា។ ព្រឹកនេះខ្ញុំបាន ack ថា “មែនហើយនាងញ៉ាំបាយសណ្តែកផ្លែប៊ឺរីមីគុយទាវប៉ុន្តែមិនមែនសាច់ទេ។ ខ្ញុំមានវិធីរីករាយដែលពួកគេមានអីវ៉ាន់សណ្តែក។
សូមឱ្យកូនក្មេងដឹងថារសជាតិភាតរភាពផ្លាស់ប្តូរតាមពេលវេលា។ គាត់ប្រហែលជាមិនចូលចិត្តភីហ្សាផ្សិតនៅថ្ងៃនេះទេប៉ុន្តែនៅពេលគាត់មានវ័យចំណាស់ – ហូហូយ – គាត់នឹង។ ហើយនិយាយវាដោយស្នាមញញឹម។ ខ្ញុំចូលចិត្តលង់ទឹកដែលលទ្ធភាពដែលអាចមានលទ្ធភាពដូចក្មេងធំមួយផ្សេងទៀតដូច្នេះវាជាអ្វីដែលតូចរបស់ខ្ញុំអាចប្រាថ្នាចង់បាន។ តើអ្នកណាដឹងថាប្រសិនបើវាដំណើរការ។ សួរខ្ញុំក្នុងរយៈពេលដប់ឆ្នាំ!
បន្ទាត់ខាងក្រោម:
ដូចជាអេលីលីនសារ៉ាតបាននិយាយថាការត្រួតពិនិត្យរបស់ឪពុកម្តាយអ្វីដែលត្រូវបានបម្រើហើយកុមារអាចគ្រប់គ្រងបានប្រសិនបើគាត់ញ៉ាំវា។ សីលធម៌នៃរឿងរ៉ាវរបស់យើងគឺបន្តផ្តល់ជូនអាហារដែលមានសុខភាពល្អដែលក្មេងៗចូលចិត្តលាយបញ្ចូលគ្នាជាមួយនឹងអាហារថ្មីដែលខ្ញុំចូលចិត្ត។ ខ្ញុំក៏មានម្ហូបបម្រុងទុកដែលពួកគេអាចរៀបចំខ្លួនសម្រាប់ខ្លួនគេផ្ទាល់ (Hummus និង Pita ជាមួយផ្លែឈើ) ។
PS មិនដែលពឹងផ្អែកលើមនុស្សម្នាក់ដែលប្រាប់អ្នកពីរបៀបជួសជុលការបរិភោគភីកឃីប្រសិនបើពួកគេមិនមាន។ ប្រសិនបើក្មេងអាយុពីរឆ្នាំកំពុងប្រមូលផលបន្លែពីសួនច្បាររបស់នាងហើយញ៉ាំពួកគេនាងមិនមានភាពរើសអើងទេហើយឪពុកម្តាយរបស់នាងមិនគួរធ្វើជាថ្កុំថមខ្ញុំទេ!