Bug is a very picky eater. He has always been like that and as a picky eater myself, I get it. Still, in a desire to have my children have broader horizons than me, I try to keep serving a variety of foods. It has felt like a battle the majority of nights. To avoid this, we tried a range of things. We established expectations for how much he needed to try before deciding he didn't like something. We try to serve foods we know he'll like at least a few nights a week and include foods he's not sure about with them so he still has the opportunity to try them. We included him in the choosing and preparing of food. Nothing seemed to work and meal times were becoming a frustrating back and forth instead of family time to talk and be together.
And what seemed to be suddenly over the last few weeks, he's trying new things. Sometimes he's even doing the asking for something different. With minimal reminders, he's tried the portion set out for him; sometimes he likes it and sometimes not, but he does it. Then, today, the crowning moment - he tried a bite of everything on his plate without complaint and found he did like one item he wasn't sure about. Such a great reminder of the power of perseverance, even when you can't yet see the light at the end of the tunnel. Now, will that still be the case next time it's a new food or something he's not really fond of? I don't know, but I know that this moment of success will certainly help fuel me to keep offering him new foods and be lovingly consistent about our expectations that he try them. Who knows what he'll try next?
No comments:
Post a Comment