For Mummies With Fussy Eaters...

Written by Jenna Deacon for her Facebook blog, The Tale of The Twins & The Terrible Two – Stay At Home Mum Blog!

FUSSY EATERS???? Read on…

I don’t know about you lot, but from my experience kids make for great eaters up until the grand old terrible 2 mark! Breakfast & lunch never seem to be an issue, but dinner… now that’s where it all goes Pete Tong!

Suddenly they don’t like broccoli anymore, potatoes touching carrots is just plain unacceptable & if you’ve forgot to add ketchup to the weekly shop you’re screwed. I’ve tried everything; meal planning, adventurous recipes, combining favourites.. .you name it, I’ve served it! There’s nothing quite like slaving over a hot stove (amidst the fighting/snatching/hair pulling), multitasking to the max & having the lot of them turn their noses up at the end result! If it’s not a turkey dinosaur/chicken nugget their not interested & plates remain untouched.

A friend recommended a book to me a few weeks back, it offers advice on getting children to eat well. I won’t lie, I haven’t read it cover to cover; times a thief when you own offspring, but I’ve managed to nab a couple of paragraphs here & there. The method is so simple & it works!

The secret?

For the last couple of weeks I’ve avoided serving up dinner directly to their plates, deciding what goes on them & their portions. I’ve added everything to serving dishes, whacked it all in the middle of the table & provided an empty plate…suddenly they’re spooning on broccoli?!

It baffled me & I soon began to wonder why such a method gets results. I think it’s the choice, the little people are constantly pushing the boundaries & challenging the parent/child roles. This technique offers them control; ‘choosing’ what goes on their plate means they’ve decided, rather than dictated & slapped in front of them.

The 1st attempt was a huge success, they all got stuck in & tried everything… the youngest even ate salad! Clean plates don’t happen every time; I can’t say they’ve turned health conscious overnight! They still seem partial to lips & arse coated in breadcrumbs, but there’s been a significant improvement!

So there you have it; simple & effective, give it a go if you’re struggling! Mentally prepare yourselves for the washing up though, those extra bowls are a b#%$h*!