Good Parenting

As you are reading this, you may have a three year old that eats nothing but macaroni and cheese and strawberries. Or maybe it’s a four year old that tries a variety of foods, but you wonder how he sustains himself with the amount he eats. But rest assured, one day this will only be a distant memory.

Of course, you probably hear lots of unsolicited advice. And then there’s the well-meaning friend who’s child eats spinach and Brussels sprouts. These people really do mean well, except for maybe your mother-in-law. However, don’t give in to the accompanying guilt after these conversations. I firmly believe that what you should trust is your own instinct.

We used any number of tricks over the years. What works for one child might not work for another, even siblings. When my daughter was a toddler she actually ate a good variety of food, while my son was pickier, he ate larger quantities of food. I had to remember that just as adults are all different, children are all different too!

Our one rule that was non-negotiable in our family was the three bite rule. I learned this trick from a sitter early on. One bite isn’t enough to say “yuck”. Three bites had to be taken before a food was refused. When a food was first introduced , it was such a small amount that it was usually about gone in three bites.

My daughter did well with small amounts added to her plate, each time. It was crucial, however that the new food not touch any other food on the plate! We used a platter every once in a while. Forget trying to impress everyone else with our daughter’s amazing palate. She usually tried new foods when we were alone.

My son was the king of ketchup. He still is. I remember the time I was complaining about the high cost of salmon as I squirted ketchup on his plate. I looked at his plate and there were equal parts salmon and ketchup! He finished all of it.

That distant memory comes back once in awhile. We now have a fourteen year old vegetarian, who turned into a beautiful, curvy young adult. And the ketchup king is now a nine year old defensive lineman.

Don’t worry, there will be new things to worry about!