the funny faces of picky eaters

a: I don't like it!

me: How do you know you don't like it if you haven't tried it?

a: because I don't!



me: ava, please don't act like that. Your brother is watching you and he is going to copy you. No whining - behave right now!

a: but I'm NOT whining [raising her voice and squinting her nose]

n:



me: ava, can you smile for the camera please?
a:



Noah laughs...



and then the copycat makes his funny face too...



Dinner time can become somewhat of a dramatic show. There's a plethora of parenting articles speaking about this subject, from tips on table ettiquete, to handling negative behavior, to even converting picky eaters - Too many scenarious to list here.

Maybe she's declared she doesn't like peas because they are round or green - and she wasn't referring to the taste... so in that instance, her proclaimation was very valid. Her reaction, squinty nose and all, was also warranted - because I raised my voice first - frustration fueled by my own exhaustion. I realize I won't get it right every time, but I think the key to happy dining is consistency.

Here are some of our tips:

• Offering a variety of healthy veggies with their meals should be ongoing and not just at meal times. Offering veggies as snacks are a great way to catch them in a different mood and time of day. There's no telling, when green will be in again.
• Dish out smaller - more realistic portions so we don't keep repeating, "finish your plate," over and over again...
• Keep eye-contact with the kids. For Aaron and I, it's the first chance we're both sitting together in the same place - so we're tempted to converse and catch-up. This is the quickest way to disengage the kids - giving them the opportunity to get bored - and play with their food.
• And most importantly, we never force them to eat anything. I had traumatic experiences as a child with food - my parents thought force feeding would prevent me from dying of starvation. That's a little exaggerated, but still - they didn't realize at the time of its side effects - and its impact on me with food in general. I know that our kids won't let themselves go hungry. But if they do ask for something long after the table has been cleared, and they picked at their plate during dinner, then I know we need to do a better job with our menu plans.
  
  [sigh] to be continued...