A fussy eater isn’t the most ideal thing to have. They can make mealtimes incredibly stressful and difficult, and while you worry about how much they eat you may also feel guilty about the things they will consume. After all, they may have a problem with anything green but given them a bowl of ice cream and they will polish it off. So how can you handle a fussy eater in your home? Here are some of the things that you could try.
Plant some fruit trees and vegetables
Children like to get involved in everything, so there is no surprise now the weather has warmed up that they may be out and about in the garden. So it would be good to take advantage of this and do a little gardening with them. Planting fruit trees and attempting to grow your own vegetables will be a great way to help them understand where their food is coming from. Plus having a hand in growing it might encourage them to try new things.
Make the food more fun and appealing
The one thing many parents may not be particularly good at is making the food look appealing. But if it visually looks good, it may encourage them to try things more. It could be as simple as trying to plate up the food differently or even create scenes or smiley faces out of it. There are a lot of websites and blogs that share easy to create designs that you can try and replicate.
Try cooking together
I think a great idea is to try and get them to cook with you. Again just like with gardening, they love to be involved. You could give them the recipe books and ask them what they would like to make. Then buy the ingredients together and cook it. You will get to spend some time together, enjoy an activity that is teaching them some life skills, and the chances are they will eat what they create.
Relax during meal times
A great tip is to try and relax during meal times. They will likely sense the nerves and anticipation. You may also be adding unnecessary pressure. It is important to accept that they won’t always try the food. Some meal times will be a success; others will just need to be written off. But that’s okay.
A rewards chart
A reward chart may not work for everyone, but it could work well with your child. Perhaps a sticker for every time they try a new food or finish a meal.
Positive encouragement
Finally, it is vital that you remain positive and give positive encouragement when it is due. Some people can be guilty of focusing on the negatives more than they should, and this won’t be giving off the message I want them to see. You will want them to understand that trying new foods is a good thing, and nothing bad will happen.
Perhaps you have more ideas to share. I would love to hear them.
