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Picky Eaters
I have a huge number of friends with picky eaters. This is a situation that I did not have to deal with much in my own home. I got lucky and have kids who will eat just about anything I put on the table. In doing my research for this blog I found that some of the stuff I had done was the recommended strategy for feeding picky eaters. One of the things that helped is that my oldest could not have sugar so we never kept sweets in the house. I have been fighting with my weight for years, as a result I make healthy meal and snack choices for me and my kids.
I see the frustration and anxiety on the faces of my friends, when we talk about meal times. They express to me the battle over foods and the seemingly never ending struggle to get their child to eat a healthy meal. On such conversation put me on the path to see if I could offer any worthwhile advice. Here are some tips I found to help the parents of picky eaters.
Clear out the junk food ? offering healthy choices for snacks and treats will build a lifetime of healthy eating
Water vs Juice ? offer water not juice or milk off meal times. Juice and milk can decrease appetite and make your child less hungry at meal times.
Focus on the meal ? Turn off the TV and sit at the table. Not only will you start good eating habits bur getting rid of distractions and commercials that often encourage the eating of sugary foods.
Dip it cover it ? Use favorite sauces and dips to help introduce new foods.
Be a good example ? if you are eating candy bars and fill up on mashed potatoes that is the example your setting for your child. If they see you choosing lots of vegetables and lean protein, you will be setting a much better example.
One meal ? Don?t be a short order cook. You make a healthy meal, that is what is for dinner if your child refuses to eat it then they can choose to go to bed hungry. No snacks, no treats. If you?re worried about how much your child is eating keep a food log.
Small children have small tummies - a child?s stomach is about the size of his fist, giving out small portions and letting them ask for more may be a key to meal time success.
Routine ? Keeping meal and snack times consistent can help your child?s system adjust to being ready to eat when you?re serving meals.
Don?t forget to make it fun. Letting your children help make meals and pick out foods at the store will get them involved. Making funny faces out of veggies or using cookie cutters to make meals entertaining can be a great way to introduce new and healthy foods to your child.
I hope the above tips help meal time become less stressful at your house. To often I think we forget that the world will not end if they refuse to eat and go to bed hungry. That just means they will eat a bigger breakfast the next morning.
For more information on this topic check out the following sites:
As I read yet another story about a teen who drove drunk, distracted or just too fast, it breaks my heart and strikes a fear into me that goes deeper than you can imagine. As I prepare to go with my daughter to get her drivers license, I fight with wanting to keep her safe and knowing she has to have some independence. I hope that I have instilled a healthy respect for the privilege of driving. I have reminded her not to fiddle with the radio or respond to a text. Repeatedly I have admonished her to watch her speed, to be careful at night, and to make sure she slows down in the rain. When it comes time for her to get that little paper that makes her a driver, I hope that I have given her the tools to be safe.
I am careful who I let her drive with; I make sure I know the teenager. Most of her friends are good kids, but a mom can never be too careful. I am starting to sound as overprotective as she thinks I am. This I justify as my job. As they grow up this job gets harder. You can only do so much to get them ready for the time when you give them more independence.
Now she is a senior in high school. With each passing month I need to let go a little more, and it breaks my heart that one day soon she will think she does not need me anymore.
Until that time, I show her the newspaper articles about the kids who drove too fast or had a few drinks and thought they were ok. She has been touched by this twice just this year and we are only half way done. All I can hope is that all of this has the effect of allowing her to know that she is not invincible and that there are people who love her and want to see her live a long happy life.
Heather Garcia, Promotions Manager
www.johnstonmommies.com
Do You Have Flower Power? Are you looking for some curb appeal? Do you need to beautify your backyard? Spring planting season may be a few months away, but there's no better time than now to grow with JohnstonMommies! We've partnered with Flower Power to bring you a fabulous fundraiser to help you plan the garden of your dreams.
Flower Power sells quality flower bulbs with a 100 percent money-back guarantee. Gorgeous geraniums, tantalizing tiger lilies, and beautiful begonias are just a few of the many bulbs available and ready to be shipped to your door. This fundraiser runs Jan. 22?March 20, 2012, and your bulbs will arrive in April and May, just in time for beautiful summer blooms.
So save some gas and the trip to your local nursery or big-box store, and plan your perfect garden from the comfort of your computer. Visit http://www.flowerpowerfundraising.com/i/t/240208/POTYYo4de7O6 to view the enormous array of flower bulbs, and spring into Flower Power and JohnstonMommies fabulous fundraiser!
Special bonus: Spend $40 or more to receive a free bag of 10 Twilight gladiolus, a $10 value.
Grow with us!
Profits made through our fundraising link go toward our chapter's operating expenses.
The New Year's parties may have ended, but our sponsorship promotion hasn't! We're still ringing in the New Year at The Mommies Network with an incredible deal that will have you reaching for your noisemakers.
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