Picky eating

My children have started telling me "I don't like to eat that" when I serve them foods that they've always eaten in the past.  I'm hoping this is just a phase.  I've always heard it takes 10-15 times or so of being served a new food before a child will sometimes try it.  I'm not sure how this applies to food they have eaten before.  I try to just ignore them when they say it, and serve it to them anyway.  Today my 4 year old told me "I don't like grilled cheese.  I won't eat it." I ignored her and made it for everyone anyway.  She ate half of it, which I considered a victory.  I'm hoping they don't get in the habit of saying they don't like something and never eat it, only to find out as an adult that, what do you know, they really do like it.  I'm pretty sure that's what happened to me and tomatoes.  Any suggestions?

Three cheers (and prayers) for moms of big families

I've gained an even greater appreciation this week for mom's of big families.  I grew up in a family of 6 kids, but that doesn't mean I really appreciate what that meant for my mom.  My sister and her 7 kids just came and stayed with my family for a couple of days.  That means there were 10 kids in my house, with 5 of them under the age of 5.  That's just a lot of kids.

I love my sister and I've always admired what a good job she does as a mom. I've even spent a lot of time at their house.  Until now, though, I don't think I ever fully appreciated what it means to take care of 7 kids every day.  The food, the noise, the drama, the food, the coordination.  I take for granted the fact that with 3 little kids I can decide 5 minutes before lunchtime what we're going to eat for lunch that day.  There's a lot more planning involved (and money) when you have to feed more than twice that many. I have a hard time keeping track sometimes of 3 pairs of shoes, much less 7 pairs.  Granted, when you have that many kids, there are older ones who can be a great help to the younger kids: changing diapers, feeding, dressing, etc.  I admire my older nieces for helping out their mom.

This is just a big shout out to my mom, my mother-in-law, my sister, my cousins, and all my friends out there that somehow manage to care for big families.  You have my utmost respect!

Hooray for healthy food choices!

I eat much healthier now that I have kids than I ever did when I was single.  I think I got kind of freaked out when my first child starting eating real food, feeling pressure that somehow whatever she ate in her 2nd year of life was going to determine how healthy she was when she was 80 years old.  When I was single, I ate one thing for a meal, e.g. just mac & cheese (or a Michelina frozen meal).  Fruits and vegetables always went bad before I ate them (except for bananas). When I started feeding my child, I made a goal to have some kind of fruit or vegetable at every meal, even if it was just a cup of orange juice.  Luckily, I was blessed with a first child who really was just born craving healthy foods.  It's never been uncommon for her to turn down junk food. 

Because I try to feed my kids healthier, it means I eat healthier now as well.  I've been trying lately to eat salads for lunches. I'll make something for my kids to eat, and then make a salad with green leaf lettuce, mushrooms, tomatoes, and maybe ham or kidney beans with ranch dressing for myself to eat.  Apparently my kids have noticed this, because the other day my 4 year old and 2 year old both said, "I want some salad, too."  So, of course, I obliged and gave each of them a little salad to eat.  They didn't eat it all, but I wanted to shout "Hooray"!  It's not always that as a parent you get to "reap" the rewards of trying to teach something to your children.  They may not always ask for salad or want to eat healthy, but I'll take the little steps towards making healthy food choices anytime!

(Now I'll need to make sure they don't see me sneaking a brownie after I eat that salad).

The Human Cheerio Vacuum

Why is it that my 1 year old, when given Cheerios on her high chair tray, immediately proceeds to throw them on the floor one by one. If I try to hand her one to eat, she refuses it. However, if I'm trying to sweep the floor, and have a large pile of dirt that includes a Cheerio in the stack, she immediately tries to grab it and put it in her mouth. I find myself having to cover the stack of dirt/Cheerios with the broom until I can grab the dustpan and sweep it up. Otherwise, the human Cheerio vacuum will lunge for it and eat it, no matter how old or disgusting it is.