Raising three kiddos, I find my heart is full of laughter and love… and STRESS!
There is so much we can stress about as moms! One thing that was becoming a daily struggle for me was meal time. My boys are picky eaters and with Roman now watching and learning from his older brothers, I didn’t want him picking up their bad habits in the eating department!
I did what any responsible mother would do: I started asking my mom friends about feeding their kids and soliciting advice. I also starting googling and reading strangers advice on the internet. I was finding some conflicting advice and I was getting even more stressed out. Then, My girlfriend told me about Feeding Littles and their program. I checked out their website and signed up right away.
I watched their videos every night. They are very user friendly and full of good info. Now I feel empowered and strong! Mealtime is no longer a trigger of stress for me, but a time to eat with my children, and hear about their day and share stories as a family, together.
I asked the creators of Feeding Littles to share some advice with the moms out there that are struggling like I was. Here is some easy ideas that you can think about and maybe make part of your routine. If you are stuggeling with picky eaters like I was, I would encourage you to check out their website and hear their beautiful story.
• Keep your table a device-free zone. Ditch anything with a screen – including the television – during meals and snacks. We want to teach our children to become mindful eaters who listen to their bodies, not kids who zone out around food. Use meals as a chance to reconnect, talk, laugh and even play with your food.
• Use routine and novelty to your advantage. You probably know by now that children thrive on routine, and that’s the same for eating. Pre-meal rituals like hand washing and setting the table are important to get your child into the eating mindset. This is especially important when your child is frustrated, tired or upset – routines help soothe. On the other hand, when a child seems uninterested in eating or doesn’t want to come to the table, make the meal unique and novel. Have everyone in the family pick out a dinner costume, see who can toss the most peas into a bowl, or drink soup through a silly straw. You will be amazed at how much more involved your child wants to be when you combine his need to have fun and learn a new skill with his biological drive to eat.
• You provide, child decides. Remember that your role is to offer mostly healthy, tasty and safe foods at regular mealtimes and snacks. Your child can choose how much to eat, if anything. Make sure that at least one food on the plate is familiar in case they want to fill up on that. It’s OK if young children seem to only want certain types of foods for days on end. If given the opportunity, their intake will even out over time. Bribing, requiring bites, withholding dessert or toys for not eating, or sneaking food into a toddler’s mouth only backfires in the long run.
Head to www.feedinglittles.com and use coupon code OCLYDIA for $10 off purchase of our toddler course. This course is ideal for parents of 1-3 year olds but has been used successfully with older children as well.
All photos were talented by the lovely Alandra Michelle