This Week's Questions

• What is the best way to prepare a 2 ½ year-old for major changes such as a move, teacher re-assignment, change of school, etc?

• How do you finesse a picky eater to eat vegetables or try new foods without bribing or serving the same foods every day?

What is the best way to prepare a 2 ½ year-old for major changes such as a move, teacher re-assignment, change of school, etc?

If possible, plan ahead. Get all the information you can about the new situation and share it with your child using visuals as much as possible. For example, if you are moving, take pictures of the new place and show them to your child. A visit will also be very helpful. Point out the near bye parks and other things that will make the new location seem more appealing. The same advice applies to a new school. Before the school year begins, take your child on a tour of the building and point out important and interesting parts of the building. Let your child see the class in which he or she will be, and definitely set up a meeting with the teacher. It’s a good idea for you to meet a new teacher in order to set the foundation for future communication. Plus your child will likely be more at ease if he or she can meet the teacher with you. Your child will look to you and gage your reaction. If you seem comfortable, this will relay a positive message to your child. Even if the change in teachers wasn’t planned, its not too late for you to visit the school with your child.

It will also be important for you to try to keep other aspects of your child’s life as routine as possible. You may even develop new family “rituals” to provide your child a sense of stability. For example, if you don’t already start reading a book to her before bed every night. Or do an activity of her choice after dinner. She will appreciate the extra time with you. Extra affection may also be called for. Your child may urge you for more physical attention (hugs, kisses, etc.) than before. If she sends you signals that she wants additional affection, respond to them. All children respond to changes differently, and ultimately it is important to respond to your child’s individual needs.

Back to the Top

How do you finesse a picky eater to eat vegetables or try new foods without bribing or serving the same foods every day?

Dinner time can be a good way to teach social skills and aid in family bonding. But when you have a picky eater, dinnertime can be stressful! You are not alone, many parents complain that their young children refuse to try new foods. Avoid getting into battles over food choices. This will just make the whole family, including you, associate mealtime with unpleasantness. Moreover, fighting about food can teach a child that refusing to eat is a way to get attention or to assert her new found autonomy, which may increase the likelihood of future battles. Here are some tips from the Virginia Cooperative Extension:

1) Introduce one new food at a time. Let the child know in advance if it is sweet, salty, or sour.
2) Serve the food when she is hungry, not full on other things.
3) Let your child decide the amount of food to try. As little as ½ teaspoon is fine.
4) Let your child know she doesn’t have to swallow the food if she doesn’t like it. Giving her this option will improve your chances of her taking a taste. Show her how to carefully and discretely spit the food out into a napkin if she decides not to swallow it.
5) Be a good role model. If your child sees you and others in the family eating or drinking, and better yet enjoying different foods, she may take a chance.
6) Other children can be models, too. If there’s another child who is likely to be a good taster, have your child observe him or her tasting the food. Keep in mind that this could backfire if your “model” child doesn’t like the food!
7) Serve an unfamiliar food with familiar ones. For example, if your child likes pancakes try putting some fresh fruit on top.
8) Presentation matters. Children prefer bright colors and interesting textures. Crunchy and color vegetables may be appealing to children (red peppers, for example). You can also make the food more interesting by making shapes or figures (for example, make a salad person with lettuce as the base, carrots or celery for the arms and legs, sprouts for the hair, and raisins for the face).
9) Involve her in the preparation. Children are more likely to want to taste food that they helped prepare. Even young children can help stir, mash, pour, and measure.
10) Keep trying! You may have to present a food up to 10 times before your child will even try it. Try serving it in a different way (if she doesn’t like steamed carrots, try them raw with a tasty dip). Never force your child to eat something. If she refuses to try something, take it away and present it another time.

Here’s a link for kid-friendly recipes: http://kidrecipe.com

Back to the Top