How to Deal with a Picky Toddler
Ever since I first became a mom, I have become so consumed with feeding my child. As a parent, one of my big goals for myself is to feed my child a healthy balanced diet. My obsession with what my baby ate started the day he was born. I was always wondering if he was getting enough milk. When it was time for solid foods, I made him his baby food and introduced them slowly. When it was time for table food I didn’t hold back and I introduced him to everything I could. For the first year, he did great with everything I gave him to eat. It was so easy. But then he became a stubborn toddler and all of a sudden, everything I offered him ended up on the floor. Ever since he turned 18 months, mealtime has been hit or miss. It’s so frustrating for me. He is usually just eating with his eyes and won’t even try what’s in front of him. Jack’s 3 major foods that he will always eat are noodles, cheese, and milk. He’s often constipated because of his diet, so I’m always trying to find ways to get him to eat all the healthy things he needs.
*This post contains affiliate links, which means by clicking on and/or making a purchase through a link will result in a commission for this blog. Thank you for your support!
As a preschool teacher, I deal with picky eaters all the time. Every time I have a parent-teacher conference, one of the concerns that parents will always talk to me about is how their child is eating. All of us parents just want to have a child that will eat a variety of food, especially healthy foods. I’ve learned a lot of great tips for dealing with picky eaters just from my day job. I’m actually pretty good at getting my preschool kids to eat their vegetables, it’s just my child that I can’t get to eat anything.
It can be extremely frustrating at times when you have a picky eater on hand, but there are some tricks to help you deal with it. Here are some ways that I am trying to promote a healthy diet in my home.
Eat together and lead by example
Eat with your children. Family meals are so important. Children benefit from them so much. It’s the perfect way to lead by example. If they see you eating your fruits and vegetables, they will want to try them too. I recently moved Jack into a booster chair at our table and I love it. He’s eating better and it’s so nice to eat as a family.
Don’t buy junk food
My husband and I don’t really eat a lot of junk food. We like it and that’s why I don’t buy it often. We do buy snacks like Goldfish crackers, but we try to stay away from the fried and fattening snacks like potato chips, Cheetos, Doritos…. pretty much all the yummy things, because we know it will be gone if we buy it. Plus, I would rather not have Jack eat so much junk food. We try to snack on fruit, veggies or nuts instead.
Have healthy snacks at your Child’s level
I read this in a blog post that I recently pinned, but I’ve been doing it for a while. In my pantry, on the lower shelf, I keep a basket of snacks available all the time. I fill it with apple sauce pouches, raisins, snack bars, graham crackers, goldfish crackers, and other snack type food. This gives Jack a variety to choose from and allows him to have some independence and choose his own snack.
Take your child grocery shopping with you
Jack has been my grocery shopping buddy ever since he was born. Now that he’s older, I let him help more at the store. We talk about what we are buying and he helps me pick out the food too. My grocery store always has fresh fruit as a snack in the produce aisle, so he gets excited about his banana or orange. Lately, I will say to him “Should we try this?” and he says “try this.” When we get home he remembers and asks me if he can try what we bought.
Have your child help prepare food
I love this one because it’s so fun to have children help make food. Every morning, I let Jack drop his waffle into the toaster and he even helps me make my coffee by picking out my K-cup and putting it into my Keurig coffee maker. As he gets older I will let him be more involved in the kitchen, but for right now we will just stick to breakfast.
Cut the food in a new way
Jack never ate a sandwich when I made them for him, so I just thought he didn’t like sandwiches. Well, the first time mom that I am was cutting his sandwich into little bite-size pieces. When he started eating sandwiches at school in the toddler room, his teachers kept telling me how well he was eating them. It turned out that they cut them into quarters. It was the same way with pizza. He just wanted to eat his food like a big boy.
Hide the vegetables
Hiding healthy foods has always been a great mom trick. My little guy usually doesn’t fall for it, but every now and again I’m able to trick him and slip some vegetables into his diet. One thing I do sometimes is blend up bananas and spinach into the pancake mix. He loves them and just thinks he’s eating a pancake.
Give your child a variety of food
At dinner, I always try to give Jack a few different foods to choose from. I give him the main food that I know he will eat, then some fruit or veggies. Sometimes he’s hungry and will eat the fruit, but most times he just asks for more pasta. I still try. These cute little Munchkin Apple plates (HERE) are perfect for separating their food and making the meal look more appealing for a toddler.
Don’t give up!
My number one advice is to not give up on a picky eater. Unless your pediatrician has expressed concern to you about your child’s weight and growth, you shouldn’t worry too much. Picky kids survive and they turn out just fine. Children go through lots of different stages. Keep trying and who knows, maybe one day you will have a healthy eater.
Do you have picky eaters at home? What are some of your tips?
The Ultimate Mom Summer Wardrobe
*This post contains affiliate links, which means that by clicking on and/or making a purchase through a link, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support.
Below, I’ve broken down 4 categories in my wardrobe… dresses, tops, bottoms, and shoes. You may already have these pieces in your closet, and if you don’t, I’ve listed some affordable options for you.
______________________________________
Tops
Bottoms
————————————————
Shoes
Wedge Sandals– Wedges are my favorite because they are much more comfortable than heels. They are an easy way to dress up an outfit and give you a little height too!
Summer Swing Dress
*This post contains affiliate links, which means by clicking and/or making a purchase through a link, I will make a commission for this blog. Thank you for your support!
Mom-Friendly Bathing Suits
*This post is part of a collaboration with PinkBlush. I was gifted this bathing suit, but as always all opinions are 100% my own.
When I became a mom, I knew that my bathing suit style was going to change. I’ve worn bikini’s since I was 13, but after having a baby, a two-piece just doesn’t feel the same anymore. After having a baby and also having a c-section, I just feel more comfortable when my belly is covered. That’s why lately I’ve been shopping for one-piece bathing suits. One-pieces aren’t just nice for having extra coverage, they are also more practical for swimming in. If you are a mom of young children like me, you know that your pool and beach days are not as relaxing as the days of your 20’s. Last summer, Jack had no fear of the water, so my pool days were spent holding him, making sure he didn’t jump in the water without me. This summer he’s just as busy. I need a suit that I can play in and swim in without worrying about being exposed to. But I also don’t want to look like a granny, if you know what I mean. I still want to feel youthful.
When I first learned that PinkBlush carried swimwear, I knew they would have the perfect mom suit for me. I ended up picking out this red woven knot back one-piece bathing suit. I’m always super nervous when I order a suit online, but just like everything else from PinkBlush, this suit did not disappoint. It fits very true to size (I’m wearing a small). I absolutely love the cut on this suit. The front is low cut and shows just the right amount of skin. It’s perfect for all you nursing mamas out there looking for a good nursing friendly suit. The back of this bathing suit has a really cute woven knot. I love that I don’t have to worry about ties with this suit because they are always coming undone for me. I also love this color. I wasn’t sure at first how I felt about the red, but I went for it anyway and I’m so glad I did. I love the red! It’s so classic and fun. I know it will be perfect for the 4th of July. With the quality of this suit, I know it will last me a lot of summers to come. This suit is only $36 and it also comes in blue. Plus PinkBlush currently has 25% off and they always have free shipping. You really can’t beat that!
To make sure that this bathing suit passed the test of mom-friendly, we went to one of the resort pools here in Vegas for the afternoon and I wore my new red suit. It definitely passed the test. I didn’t have any problems with it sliding down or coming off. Even when Jack used me to crawl up because he was too afraid to touch the floor, my bathing suit stayed in place. I felt comfortable and confident while wearing this suit and I think that’s very important for us moms to feel that way. By the way, excuse my cranky toddler’s face in these photos. He doesn’t always enjoy stopping what he’s doing to take pictures with his mama.
Making the Most of your Wardrobe- 4 Ways to Wear a Stripe Skirt
*This post contains affiliate links, which means by clicking and/or making a purchase through a link, I will earn a commission. Thank you for your support!
Look #1
This has to be my favorite look. I added a bright pink tank top and wore my strappy heel sandals.
Shop Similar Options
Top/Skirt/Shoes/Purse/Necklace
Look #2
I wear a denim jacket with almost anything. It’s my favorite way to layer. With this look, I kept the colors simple and neutral.
Shop similar options
Top/Jacket/Skirt/Shoes/Purse
Look #3
Chambray is always a win. Here I wore my chambray shirt with some flat sandals. To add some color, I wore my coral purse.
Shop similar options
Top/Skirt/Shoes/ Purse
Look #4
If I’m going to mix patterns, it’s usually stripes and leopard. I just love this combo. This leopard clutch has become one of my favorite closet staples. I often opt for wedges over heals, because they tend to be a little more comfortable, especially when chasing toddlers.
Shop similar options
Top/Skirt/Purse/Wedges
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 56
- 57
- 58
- 59
- 60
- …
- 110
- Next Page »