Raise your hand if your kids (or spouse) have ever complained about the food you’ve served?
*Raises hand*
Yup, I figured I wasn’t alone in this.
The problem is, how we handle it can either develop a picky eater or prevent a picky eater.
You heard me.
You can stop your kids from becoming picky eaters simply by handling their “complaints” right.
10 Ways to Handle Kids Who Won’t Eat What You Serve
1. Relax and take a deep breath – stay cool, calm and collected.
If you make it a big deal, you’re bringing emotions into it. Remember – food is fuel for the body, not emotions … so keep the “feeling” neutral.
2. Don’t take it personally – because it’s not personal.
Your kids need to exercise their right for independence and are looking for you to trust them. They aren’t saying they don’t like your cooking, they’re saying “let me choose”.
3. Establish a three bite rule – even for your spouse.
Create a standing rule that everyone politely tries three bites. After that, they are perfectly welcome to say “no, thank you” and stop eating.
It’s important that they understand that they won’t know if they like something until they’ve tried it and everything gets a fair shot, period.
4. Never make them a separate meal. Ever.
If they take 3 bites and still don’t like it, that’s okay … but that doesn’t mean you’ll be making something else.
They have the right to choose what they like or don’t like and they have every right to say “no, thank you”, but you are not required (nor should you) to make a separate meal.
If they are hungry, there is food available to eat. Otherwise, they are welcome to wait until the next meal.
5. Let them make their own choices.
Your kids need a chance to exercise their independence – and your house, under your supervision is the safest place.
6. Don’t excuse them from the table before everyone is done.
If they’re not going to eat, that’s fine – but they should still be required to politely sit at the table and converse with the family.
This prevents “distraction” and makes them participate in meal time and if they really are hungry, they’ll eat it.
7. Make that food again within two weeks.
Never dismiss a food because your child wouldn’t eat it. Continue to introduce the same food, but get creative and try it different ways.
Often times our child may not like a food because of the combination of flavours or textures, so try it different ways and they might discover they love that food!
8. Communicate the benefits.
Talk to them about why you are serving it and how it will benefit them. Make it relevant to what matters to them now.
9. Show them you trust them – seriously.
Your kids want to know that you trust them to make decisions. They are trying to learn independence and too often we hinder them from that (I’m guilty too!).
Show them you trust that they know their body best and don’t push it. If they don’t want to eat it, no big deal (see #1).
10. Act like it’s no big deal. Fo realz.
Your kid won’t starve missing one meal, they won’t hate you and they won’t be scarred for life.
So, relax.
If they want to miss a meal it really is no big deal.
Go ahead, enjoy chatting it up with your kids while you eat, even if they aren’t.
