Brie Boy started school this year and already he is resisting learning to read. As he loves running when he has read a reader or learnt a sight word he has victory lap around the living room and we have been making progress.
I have now been using the victory lap when I want the kids to try something new or to finish their vegetables. I used it the other night very successfully with a friend’s daughter.
I was at my friends place with the kids for a play. It was wonderful, all 4 children (Baby Bell, Brie Boy, Beanstalk & Lulu) were playing well and my friend and I were able to have a great catch-up, so much so the next thing we knew the kids were hungry and asking for food - it was 5.50pm.
My friend invited us to stay for dinner and we quickly threw together a dinner of dumplings, broccoli, baby corn and cherry tomatoes. When we served dinner her daughter, Lulu ‘yucked’ the broccoli and corn.
I knew that Baby Bell liked broccoli and using the theory of ‘peers help peers to eat’ I asked Baby Bell to show her friend how to eat broccoli. Lulu was impressed that her younger friend ate the broccoli. I asked her to smell it, lick it and tell me what it looked like and then to have a tiny bite and tell me how it felt in her mouth which she did. I knew I should reward Lulu for trying so seeking my friend’s permission I suggested she could take a victory lap around the kitchen bench.
Lulu ran around the kitchen bench which she thought was great fun. Baby Bell asked for a victory lap and knowing she isn’t too keen on baby corn I suggested she eat a piece which she did and she got her victory lap. Of course, the boys wanted to join in and although they had eaten their vegetables they asked for more broccoli so they could have their victory lap. Lulu also wanted another victory lap and finished the broccoli on her plate. It made dinner a little chaotic and noisy but it did encourage a reluctant broccoli eater to try and all four kids finished off a large head of broccoli.
I saw Lulu a couple of days later and she was very proud to tell me that she had eaten broccoli again.
What creative ways do you get your kids to try vegetables or new foods?
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This is a great way to get children to try different foods! I always think that if you can make dinnertime a social opportunity with other children, it can be more successful. The positive role modelling goes a long way. It is good to see that you acknowledge that it can be a bit chaotic - but every now and then, it breaks the routine at least! I will look forward to reading some more ideas from you.
One thing I have found quite useful is building the expectation that my children will be served a variety of textures and colours. Now have a certain expectation of how many portions they are served and the other night they were asking where the ‘green’ food was!
Robyn
I have always found that if kids eat with their friends you have a better chance of getting them to eat better and try new foods. I know one mum that used to send her kids to child care more than she needed but they ate better with the other kids than they did at home.
I would love to know more on how you build the expectations re the textures and colours.
I think that kids will build a certain expectation about what they want at dinner time. Even though it can be a bit of a pain at times, my kids expect that they will see a combination of cooked and raw food - ie steamed veges x2 and a salad plus a meat portion.So when it isn’t all there, they will be the ones to ask, “where is the carrot” or where are my tomatoes?” It is interesting that they can force your hand, when sometimes all you want to do is a quick meal! (Even though it doesn’t take too much time!) What do you think?
Kids like routine and you have created the expectation of always having two types of vegetables and a salad vegetable on the plate. What a great idea and an easy way of overcoming the battle to eat their greeens.
I love it that they pick you up on it when it’s not there, kids asking vegetables - heaven!