Toddler Solutions
from a nurse mom
What I stopped doing
- Bribing with dessert, which only teaches them that vegetables are the price of cake
- Counting bites
- Cooking a second dinner on demand
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What helped
- Split the jobs. I decide what’s served, when, and where. He decides whether he eats it and how much. This split is a well-known feeding approach, and it takes a lot of pressure off both of you.
- Include a “safe food” on every plate. Something he reliably eats sits next to the new thing, so he never faces a plate with nothing he likes.
- Expect lots of exposures. Kids often need to see a new food 10 to 15 times before they try it. The broccoli isn’t failing. It’s still in the introduction phase.
- Let them serve themselves. Tongs and a small bowl make vegetables feel like a choice.
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When to call the pediatrician: if your child is losing weight, gags or vomits with most foods, eats fewer than about 15 to 20 foods total, or mealtimes are truly distressing, bring it up at the next visit. Feeding therapists exist for exactly this.
General information from a nurse mom, not medical advice for your child. When in doubt, call your pediatrician.
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