NB: This post was originally authored and published on coachesquad.com my fitness coaching website.
So, this topic came to me as I did the dishes today and was washing school lunch boxes and house lunch plates, from foods my kids used to be picky about. I was just laughing. I didn’t wanna change the topic because I believe God would have you be shocked by this truth.
We live in as society that is quick to satisfy your itchy ears with sweet nothings that make you feel good and appeal to your emotions, but leave you the same. No change whatsoever. Well, I am keeping it 150% REAL today, so you are either IN or OUT. As a mom of 2, my passion for kids is rising and my heart breaks when I see some things… Pardon me.
Ok, so are your kids’ picky eaters, or you are a lazy mom?
Now don’t get me wrong, honey. Some kids are REALLY picky eater. They just make meal times HARD and you have tried EVERYTHING literally!!! This is not for that mom. This is for the mom who tries to introduce a meal once, twice or even three times and when the kid rejects it, she is termed a picky eater.
Sweetheart, MOST kids are naturally neo-phobic. They are not quick to try out and accept new foods. It is like a phobia. My son KingDaveed is like so…
You present something new, he looks at it, asks what it is, and when you tell him, he immediately says I DON’T WANT
At that point, I become a Mom-In-Chief and it becomes an order. So long as it won’t kill you, dude you must try it. And eat it.
There was a time he didn’t do swallow at all. He will keep stuffing his mouth then when he finally swallows, he will cough and cough till he throws everything up on me. Or whoever. We used to give semo then. It was hell feeding him.
We shouted, threatened, flogged, no show. I don’t want to raise kids who DO NOT EAT swallow. I started to pray, and God told me to change the swallow to amala. I did and he ate it happily. You see, plantain flour (amala) is even better than semo though same swallow. Now we eat swallow (amala, plantain flour or poundo yam) 4 to 5 times for dinner in a week happily.
He doesn’t like potato porridge and what I do is no matter what, even if just 5 spoons, I make sure he eats it. Then one day, I decided to get creative and present sweet potatoes in a different way. In balls, so I cook, mash, add eggs, chicken/fish and fry before but now I air-fry and wham, my son eats it.
He didn’t take well to macaroni but I kept at it. One day, I asked him if he wanted mac and he said no he wanted spaghetti. Both are the same thing just different presentation and when I gave him, he took to it. Now, no more mac in my home.
He doesn’t like vegetable soup, but that is fine, we do okro, ewedu and Ogbono and I add leafy veggies to all and he takes it
He hates stew so I make rice into jollof and fried and he eats it.
He hates eating carrots and the likes in fried rice but I later noticed that I presented them too hard as I love my veggies crunchy, so now I cook a bit more till it is soft and he eats it. Or I just blend everything and add to my tomato paste for jollof and we good.
He doesn’t like cucumber but I make sure to put it in his smoothie that has pineapple, banana and stuff that is sweet so it kinda masks the taste and he gobbles it down.
So many examples but no time.
And yes, I have a second son who is just a copy cat of everything his brother does so I make sure his brother is being a great role model and example.
If I tolerate picky eating and choosing food for one, I will have to for the other and NO TIME FOR THAT!!!
You see, the deal is don’t give up too easily and give in to cereal. Kids know when you are being weak willed and lily-livered and will ride you and manipulate you. They are smart ooo, forget.
Till tomorrow, my son wants golden morn daily but I made sure he gets it just twice a week. Or once.
He always wants Ribena and the likes and I used to give him a little here and there but after an incident this December where he went out and kept drinking everything and got real sick, I stopped completely. He still asks me and I say NO and I tell him to refuse it when offered outside.
I make zobo and Tigernut milk at home and have it readily available. I don’t keep any other drink at home., and of course we drink plenty WATER.
You see, you must make the desirable options hard to get at home so that your kid doesn’t exhaust you to giving in cos it is available. Then make healthy options readily available. Don’t give in to cereal every day. Feed your child real food even if it tests your last patience.
Continue to commit it to God and make sure you have exhausted your last options before you term your kid a picky eater. Don’t be a lazy mom, Mom. Your kid is worth every stress especially for the future. Let’s raise ‘em well and better…
I believe God with you that your kid will be obedient to you, as the Bible records that Jesus was obedient to his parents.
Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them….
Luke 2:51a NLT
Love, from a mom in the trenches with you, to YOU,
CoachE’