23 Mar 2012
Shurti
Gabe has a persistent plnrosaeity rather than saying stubborn, it has a much more positive connotation! I'm stealing that!This post is so timely for me. My son, Declan, just turned one and food is totally something I have some secret stress and guilt over. He was a bit slow to start solids because he wasn't a big fan of being spoon fed. It was such a relief when he learned to feed himself around 9 months! But I find it challenging to present him with new foods because if they aren't his familiar favorites (cheese, whole grain bread, fresh fruit, plain yogurt mixed with veggie and fruit puree, or whole grain sweet potato pancakes) then he starts throwing them and anything else he has on his tray. He really analyzes his food before taking a bite and anything he can easily squish with his finger is out.I'm really starting to feel like I need to find a way to get him into veggies because the fruit will be way less plentiful after the summer and while I'm sure he could technically survive on dairy and bread it doesn't seem healthy (wouldn't want him getting scurvy like a baby pirate!). I also worry about his iron levels, so having him eat a little meat would be nice too.If anyone has ideas on ways to present veggies and meat that are more appealing to kids I'd love to hear them!Also, any tips on how to discourage throwing food? I think part of the food throwing is a developmental thing with testing us for our reaction. He is also hitting then watching us for how we respond. And he suddenly refuses to use his signs (which he loved using only a week ago) and now insists on pointing and screaming when he wants something. He and my husband had quite the power struggle on that one the other night. I try soooo hard to remember he is going through big changes right now and that before I realize it this part will be over and it will be something else that is the issue. And I know that I should be trying to use these moments to teach him what is acceptable and expected and to keep giving him new foods, but I am easily frustrated and often at the end of the day I just want things to go smoothly, so I'll give in (and then be annoyed with myself later for being such a push-over).Wow, this comment turned into such a vent, sorry about that!