Picky Eater Coping Needs To Be a Family
Affair
by: Jason
Katzenback
Why does it seem that the
pickiest of eaters always try to pass themselves off as the
latest upcoming culinary critic?
It is especially annoying when you have spent a couple of
hours on a special Sunday dinner, only to have your
six-year-old son tromp the kitchen loudly declaring...
"Something stinks and I’m not
eating it!"
Trisha, from England, said that her son is still her pickiest
eater and although he does not do it so much now, he used to be
famous for turning up his nose at her home-cooked meals and
insisting on eating prepackaged foods that were just made with
water.
On the other hand, some children have been known to prefer
instant macaroni and cheese because they can fix it themselves,
which gives them a sense of accomplishment and
satisfaction.
That is why I highly recommend letting your children help you
in the kitchen with meal preparation. You see the more familiar
your picky eater becomes with handling the food the more
inclined they will be to taste it.
"Get a stepstool and ask your kids to lend a hand in the
kitchen with easy tasks," says Sal Severe, PhD, author of the
book, How to Behave So Your Children Will, Too. "If they
participate in helping to make the meal, they are more likely
to want to try it," he says. This can include pouring
ingredients into a bowl, draining the liquid from the corn,
washing vegetables, or stirring the contents of a dish.
In addition, encourage your child to help with mealtime
preparations by setting the table, folding napkins, clearing
the table after dinner, washing the dishes, or other
age-appropriate tasks.
Plan weekly menus together with your children, allowing them to
be involved in the decision making process. That does not mean
that mealtimes are planned around their expectations, but at
least they will have a heads up if you are going to serve
something new or different. You might even let your child pick
one night where he can decide what the menu will be. Even if he
just wants buttered pasta noodles and nothing else, you can
still serve sauce on the side along with a salad.
Most important of all...
Do Not Make Food a Major issue!
This will only lead to more serious problems in the future. As
children get older they want independence, they want to be able
to make their own decisions. If they start to feel that food is
an area they have no control over then they will often try to
take control, usually by becoming less open to new foods which
can lead to more problems in the future.
Allow your picky eater to make their own decisions and allow
them to be part of the solution!
© 2005 Jason Katzenback
About The Author
Jason Katzenback shows you step-by-step how to handle Picky
Eaters with his highly praised resource 'Help There is a Picky
Eater in The House!' Full of Proven Strategies & Simple
Recipes that are 100% Guaranteed to Work. www.mypickyeater.com.
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