Do you have a picky eater in your family? Are
mealtimes a battle?
I can completely relate. My daughter was super
picky as a child and when she was about to be school-aged, I wanted to figure
out something she could take for lunch. She liked peanut butter, she liked
jelly, and she liked bread so I thought, naively, that she would like a
PB&J sandwich. Oh my goodness, did we have a standoff?
Sound familiar?
Don’t despair. Determine which battles you want to
pick and be patient. Here’s my story…
My newest picture book, Franky the Finicky
Flamingo, was inspired not only by my child's pickiness but my own. I know
that's not a very "grown up" kind of thing to admit but alas I am
picky. Most of it is due to texture issues but some of it is actually due to
taste. Now, don't get me wrong, I was a much pickier eater when I was a child.
So, I've outgrown a lot of it. And if you have a picky eater, I believe they're
going to grow out it as well.
When I was in Elementary School, I didn't eat the
school lunches so my Mom packed me exactly what I wanted every single day and
that was a cold hot dog. Not the healthiest food, but I was happy. Somewhere
around Middle School, I started eating school lunches. I know she was relieved.
I can honestly say that vegetables are just not my
thing. I found out as an adult that I actually prefer my vegetables raw. Part
of that is definitely texture, I don't like mushy vegetables but the other more
surprising thing is taste. I find vegetables in the raw are much tastier than
after they have been cooked. I have even been told they are better for you. So,
who's picky now? Am I right? LOL
The other types of food that I really don't
like are citrus fruits. They have those strings in them. I choke on them.
Still to this day! And I don't like orange juice with pulp in it. Other fruits
are all good though. What about you—do you have any foods you don’t like?
One time I heard a story about a set of twins that
were separated at birth. One Mom said their child was a difficult eater because
they wouldn't eat anything unless she put ketchup on it. The other Mom said her
child was the easiest child to feed because she would eat anything as long as
she put ketchup on it. Maybe it's all in perspective.
I just want to challenge you today as you think
about your child's picky eating--what battle do you want to pick?
And just maybe Franky the Finicky Flamingo might
help encourage your picky eater to try new foods. You can check it out, here.
Wanda Luthman is an award-winning children's author & freelance writer. Her books are available on Amazon (www.amazon.com/author/wandaluthman) and from Barnes & Noble (www.bn.com).
Follow her at:
Twitter--@wandalu64
