I sometimes wonder how two girls raised in the same house with the same parents and same rules can be so vastly different. Lucy will happily try pretty much any food, while Halley would gladly starve if given the opportunity. I found a great idea from Sycamore Stirrings called Muffin Tin Mondays. My goal was to get Halley to push her idea of "edible food" while it was served to her in her own fun tin in very small portions.
I decided to try it out a breakfast today and the new food was kiwi. Shockingly, kiwi has the ability to put her over the edge. Imagine if I tried something really adventurous. She would be in counseling for weeks. The other foods were: gummy vitamins, dried cranberries, strawberry yogurt, honeydew, pretzel goldfish, pineapple, bowtie noodles, chicken chunks, a mini carrot cake muffin, cheese and strawberries. 
Lulu dug right in, actually trying the kiwi first and asking for more. Halley went into a full blown panic that the kiwi was even on her tray. "Mom!!!!! I don't like pickles!!!!!!" was all I could hear. In her opinion kiwis are the same as pickles. No amount of convincing could change her mind. I had her try a tiny piece and you would of thought I fed her poison. Well... it's a start.
I am not giving up. She ate what she ate, when the evil kiwis were removed peace was restored and they both asked for more meals in the "cupcake cookers". If anyone has tips for the dramatic eaters please send them my way. We were at a wedding this weekend and during the best man's toast she tried a sip of Martinellis. Instantly she screamed bloody murder and spit it all over Jason and the people next to us. Who doesn't like Martinellis? Let's just say the videographer is going to have to do some creative editing on that part of the evening.
I love the muffin tin idea. Alaina wouldn't try Trix's cereal this weekend. (We were at Grandma and Grandpa's) She's never seen the stuff so thought it was bad! Dad shoved a piece in her mouth and of course smiled and said, can I have some trix:) what a stinker! my littlest one is pretty stuborn about the whole food thing. sometimes she surprises me though, they both ate tacos last night.
ReplyDeletei don't know what to tell you. my doctor said put three foods on the plate at least one of which they will eat and hope that they will eat the rest, but if not than at least they don't starve, but if they don't eat, then they don't eat. it is hard and my girls have gone to bed not eating, but at this age they do go through a stage where they aren't always hungry.
I wish I knew the proper way to get kids to eat stuff. I've found though, that they will eat pretty much anything if it accompanied by some sort dip. Yes, my kids are dippers. At the 4th picnic Roo was dipping his cupcake in ranch dressing........What can I say?
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh at the reference to cupcake cookers. We were baking cookies the other day and my 5yo told me she would throw away the butter peels for me. Love random kid thoughts. I can't wait to try the muffin tin Monday with my girls.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! Gina truly would rather starve than eat anything new. I will have to try this. Thanks for sharing ;)
ReplyDeletebrillant idea!!
ReplyDeletewe will be doing this tomorrow.
we had a muffin tin picnic awhile back but i had forgotten.
maybe annie will actually eat a meal if its like this!
i know what you mean about sending them over edge...