You think I am taking this Obama Mania too far?
Well, how's this for a story: I was giving a talk to a school here in NYC on kids and eating issues. As we got to talking about the Picky Eaters, one parent raised her hand and told us that as she started to ask her 6 year old son to eat his Barack-O-lli, he actually did! This after years of pleading and the 100th try that she had been counseled to do by the School of the: "Offer your Picky Eaters the foods they won't try 150 times and they will ultimately surrender." That of course, if simply a whiff of said food doesn't make you throw up by the 49th try!
But there are legions who subscribe to this method, and here we have a success story! Hats off to this Mom's perseverance and ingenuity, and I say, let's capitalize on Obama's popularity and power to pull in the youth vote!
If this however, doesn't work, console yourself that you are amongst the millions of other parents who want to pull their hair out, because they simply can't get their kids to eat broccoli, or any vegetable. Console yourself that if they eat any fruit at all, even one fruit, that they are getting their vitamin requirements. Their needs will expand as they get into pre-adolescence, but it is quite likely that they are getting their nutritional needs met. I haven't heard of one case of scurvy reported lately, have you? So much of our food is fortified with vitamins, if you need that extra bit of reassurance.
We do all want our kids to have healthy eating habits though, and often worry when they won't try a food group, (usually veggies), Parents fret, angst, try many things, or simply give up and hope that at some point in their life their kids will eat vegetables. Everyone has a different approach that works for their family and parenting style. I must confess that with my benign neglectful attitude, my kids take on the responsibility of asking for vegetables and say: "Yes, Mom, we need a veggie with this meal!" (I get very tired of figuring out what to feed them all the time, anyone with me on this one?)
So if you want to give this trick a try, along with the many other options available such as putting broccoli into other foods, etc., or simply waiting until their tastes expand, see if you can capitalize on our current President's enormous wave of popularity.
Unwittingly, he has made a contribution toward the health and nutrition of kids in America. Imagine it now: legions of kids around the country chanting: "Yes We Can! Barack-Olli's the Man!" (Of the vegetable world, that is).
Okay, I will stop now. I couldn't resist. But try it. You never know, your kid just might listen this time.
For more tips on feeding yourself and your family, visit me at: www.donnafish.com