Sometimes, I wonder if I’m grooming my children to be picky eaters as adults. All parents try to feed their children a well-balanced diet.
Am I Raising a Picky Eater?
Just recently, I took Collyns in for her 30-month checkup, and the doctor had to measure her three times because the first two times she “shrunk,” then they weighed her and she had lost weight. I wasn’t too concerned because ever since she was born she was low on the curve of the growth chart. Her weight and height put her in the 25th percentile and 7th percentile in weight. I just figured it was because she is a picky eater. The doctor, of course, wanted to make sure she was receiving the proper nutrients.
Her doctor recommended we make one meal for the family, and if she doesn’t eat it, then we could give her one option to choose. Her doctor also recommended she drink a Pediasure for a bedtime snack every night to help her gain some weight with the proper amount of nutrients. When we got home, we played them up and called them milkshakes. Luckily, she really liked them.
Ever since Cohen was young, Mitch and I have always made two meals for the family: one for us and one for the kid(s). I’ve struggled with dinner ideas for kids. I think I made them picky eaters because I always get them one of the following: turkey, cheese, pizza, chicken, hamburger, apples and/or strawberries.
They’re always up for trying different foods, but their dinner usually consists of one of those options. Cohen has gotten better with new foods now that he eats hot lunch at school, but I think Mitch and I are so wrapped up in our routine that we don’t think to offer the kids the same meal that we are having for dinner.
How to Break a Picky Eating Habit
I’m a big believer of picking your battles. We live in a world where we try to be perfect parents, but we know that doesn’t happen. I try to limit their junk food and juice intake, but sometimes, the Oreos and candy win out. My kids are probably like most kids. They’re really good at throwing fits and know how to push my buttons. For me, it’s easier to give in than to enter into war.
My solution now is to cook one meal for everyone and only offer one other option to the kids if they don’t want what we make. That will simplify things and hopefully help them become better eaters—and maybe help Collyns gain some weight!
Besides only making one meal, I also did as any parent does these days. I took to the internet. I started reading up on picky eaters on a website called The Picky Eater by the Ellyn Satter Institute. It was a quick read, and it helped me realize what I should and should not be doing.
Even if I already knew some of the items on the site, it helped reinforce what I should avoid and how I should address my picky eaters. The different sections helped break down the barriers of how to help my child eat. After reading the success stories, I’m hoping she will have gained the proper weight and grown by her three-year checkup. I know she will probably always be my little peanut, but I want her to be healthy and NOT a picky eater.
Looking for a healthy snack that your kids will absolutely love? Check out this fast and easy recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Hummus from Don’t Waste the Crumbs!
Mallory Connelly
Babies & Toddlers
In addition to the time I devote to being a mom, I also work full-time outside the home, which means my day is hardly ever as simple as nine to five. With an all-too-established schedule, as soon as I walk through the door, my day doesn’t end, but rather just begins. It’s a balancing act, especially with two children, but being a mom is one full-time job that I never want to quit!
