Happy Tiny Tuesday!!! I’ve neglected this space on my blog for a bit, but I’m back and determined to make Tiny Tuesdays better than ever. Before, I mainly posted about baby/toddler clothing, but we’re going to add to it a bit going forward. From now on, I will be addressing issues related to littles – the terrible twos, juggling being a working mom and stay-at-home mom, crafts for kids, etc. I will be writing about topics that are relevant in my life at the moment and sharing with you things I do that work for our family and things that don’t work so well!
I am not a perfect mom by any means, but I believe that sharing our ups and downs with each other is part of what makes us better mommies. I love learning about what other families do with their kiddos and how they handle certain situations because it usually gives me some ideas of things to try at home.
So, today will be brief, but I am chatting about the best advice we’ve received to get our toddler to eat. Let me back track a bit and let you know that I probably made the rookie mom mistake of letting Emma Grace (my 3 year old) eat whatever she wanted to – corn dogs, chicken nuggets (like dino nuggets…not the organic kind…), sugary yogurt, etc., just because I wanted her to actually eat. Well, fast-forward a couple of years and I now have the world’s pickiest eater on my hands.
I am totally kicking myself in the pants for not preparing foods such as quinoa, green beans, etc. when she was first starting to eat. Currently trying this approach with Abby…
So, now what? Well, my pediatrician gave us the best advice and the only advice that has worked. He told us to prepare the meal we want our child to eat and let that be the only option. Sounds easy, right? It’s not. He told us to give EG her lunch for example, and if she doesn’t want to eat it then give her the choice to eat it or eat nothing. If she chooses to eat nothing (which she often does), then I save the plate.
Then, when she comes back to tell me she wants a snack, I simply give her the plate of her lunch again and tell her that’s what we have for snack. I keep putting the food in front of her until she eats it.
Now, if you have a stubborn child like me, then prepare yourself for the situation where your child may opt to not eat at all. There are many nights where Emma choses not to eat dinner and to go to bed instead. I used to buckle under pressure in fear that EG needed a full tummy before going to bed, but my pediatrician assured me that no child will let herself starve. She will eventually eat and she will learn who is boss…mom & dad. 😉
We’ve been trying this method for almost a year and love it! It hasn’t made her eat everything, but it’s helped her to try new foods and learn to respect what mom or dad made for her meal. Has anyone else tried this method? Does anyone else have a tip or a method they like to use to get their littles to eat? I’d love to hear from you!!!
xx – anna
