Practice Makes Perfect

I don't mean to say that our first kid was our practice kid, but there are many differences that come up in how you parent after the first child. You learn lessons that maybe didn't work so well the first time around.

 

I'm not sure if JJ is just a naturally picky eater or what, but I can't help but wonder if we didn't somehow contribute to his reluctance to try new things. We gave him "baby" food until he was just past one. We didn't give him our food until it was too late, I think, and by that time, he didn't want new things. He wanted chicken nuggets or mac n cheese or grilled cheese. He spent his afternoons at his grandma's house and she would give him grilled cheese pretty much every day. 

 

He is 4 now and in preschool. At first we were sending chicken nuggets in a thermos for him, but that was kind of grossing me out.  He finally gave in and he eats a peanut butter sandwich (yes, it took him this long to be willing to do that), yogurt and a granola bar.  He's not much of a "foodie" but we have gotten him to the point where we make him try something first. We make the deal that if he tries it and doesn't like it, he doesn't have to eat it, but he has to at least take a bite.  The progress is painfully slow, but it is progress none-the-less.

 

Kathryn, on the other hand, is my 1-year-old foodie. She will eat pretty much anything you put in front of her and then some. She finishes her food and then comes to us and checks out our plates. She's worse than the dog, I swear. But she's adorable, so I usually give her a bite or two. The only thing I don't think she cares much for is beans because that is the only thing I've seen left on her tray.  The difference is, we started feeding her "regular people" food as soon as possible. We did baby food for awhile, but as soon as I could, I just gave her what we were eating (within reason, she only has 8 front teeth afterall).  Once her molars come in, all bets are off.  She's not picky in the least; sweet, savory, spicy even, she loves it all.

 

I don't know how much water my theory holds, but I'm just glad I don't have two picky eaters on my hands. Meal-time has been one of our most challenging times over the years with JJ.  He's also a slow eater too, so we've started setting a timer for him at dinner and that has made the biggest difference. He eats quicker now (which equates to a normal speed for everyone else) and dinner time is less stressful for everyone involved.

 

Any other tips for the pickiest of eaters, I'm all ears. So far all the staple pieces of advice don't really help much (he's pretty stubborn).  I can only hope by the time he's in college, he's eating more than just chicken nuggets.