Do you have a picky eater? Does the thought of holiday get togethers completely stress you out, because you never know if there will be food your little one will eat?
The struggle is real and all too common.
I feel your pain and empathize. I know the fears of wondering if your child is getting enough protein and other nutrition from their foods. For the holidays, rather than focus on how much your child is eating, focus on the experience.
Freedom, stress-free, fun, enjoyable…. All the things we want to try to bring to the holiday meal table for our little ones.
We want to create a sense of freedom around food rather than unintentionally bringing a sense of panic. When it’s time for meals, allow your child to help prepare a dish! What a mess it can be, it may take longer to prepare, but they are MUCH more likely to eat it if they helped to make it! If that’s not possible due to traveling to relatives or other reasons, there are still lots of ways to involve your child and encourage food expansion.
When it’s time to eat, allow them to help make their plate and choose the food. (If they seem ready and excited to try some new foods, gently encourage choices that may not be their favorite. If they tell you they do not want to eat the food, encourage them to allow one food that is not a preferred food to “sit” on their plate while they eat the foods they chose. However, to keep it low stress, if they refuse, tell them thank you for considering these new foods and move on). Even just exposure to new and undesired foods will help to expand their ability to accept new foods in the future.
Encourage play with their food. Are you looking at me like I am crazy right now? Beginning to accept new foods starts well before they ever put the food in their mouth! If it’s clear your kiddo is not going to eat the food on their plate, allow them to explore it a bit by pointing to different foods by playing a “show me” or “simon says” game. Ex. “simon says to point to the carrots.” You can also encourage them to touch the food and talk about how it feels. If those two tasks are pretty easy for them, the next step in food exploration is to bring a food item to their lips and smell it, then place it back on their plate.
The big takeaway I’d like you to consider is that this should all be stress free! If something you’re trying is causing way more pain and suffering than it should, pivot! Try something new, shift gears in some way to help them reduce any stress they may be feeling. Celebrate their victories, however small! And laugh- make lots of jokes, keeping it light and a little bit silly. It’s ok if they make a mess, messes can always be cleaned up!
Come armed with tiny dessert forks or fruit skewers. What kid doesn’t love to eat their food with a fruit skewer in the shape of a sword?! I know mine would! (as long as it’s done safely, of course!!)
Above anything else, ignore Aunt Karen who says your child should be eating caviar and escargot by now. The only opinion that really matters is yours. Your child was given to you- just for you. While you may not be perfect, you ARE the perfect parent for them. Don’t’ ever forget it. I’m wishing you the happiest and most stress free holiday season!
