So, my last post was all about meal prep and how that helps with schedule and routine in our daily lives. Some parents might be thinking well I can do the meal prep but my kid won't eat the healthy choices I have given. That is frustrating to us as parents!
There are several kids out there that are picky eaters and parents might think I cannot get my kid to eat anything healthy... so what do I do?
First, start with choices - "would you like to try this bright orange carrot or this little green bean?" (Make it fun when providing choices). Some kids will choose one or both. The kids will try it and say yummy or yucky. But the thing is they tried it! For some kids this won't work so I implement the "thank you bite" in these moments. A lot of the teachers at our school use this!
The "thank you bite":
The parent says, "I made this yummy meal for you! So, you are welcome to try all the foods on your plate. Which one would you like to try first?" The kid might eat the yummy mac and cheese first then say I am all done. But wait a second parents, stop right there and say, "we all can take a thank you bite of our green beans." Then, you and your child take a bite at the same time. One bite that is all it is, one thank you bite. That bite is saying, "Thank you for making this for me. I tried it and I don't like it but thank you for making it for me." Or it is "Thank you for making this for me. I tried it and I thought I would not like it but I do like it and I am going to eat all of it!"
**Disclaimer: this does not work for every kid but I think it is worth a try!
Also, some kids have true feeding and/or sensory disorders so this (thank you bite) may not work for these kids. Therefore, seeking help from a speech language pathologist and/or occupational therapist is recommended.
One last thing on this topic, I love children‘s books and I will probably be recommending many to you throughout this blog and parent project experience. So, here is a book recommendation on this topic:
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr Seuss
“You do not like them so you say. Try them! Try them! And you may. Try them and you may, I say.”
“I do so like green eggs and ham! Thank you! Thank you, Sam-I-am!”
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