Many of us parents have dealt with picky eaters. Some kids are picky because they do not like to try new things and change things up. Other kids are picky just because they do not like the look of new foods.
And, then, there are kids who are picky just to be difficult and make our lives hard. Whatever the reason , we have all been there.
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Many parents struggle with what to do and how to handle picky eaters.
While we have birthed picky eaters, not all of us know how to handle and deal with them at mealtime.
It’s hard to figure out how to handle a bunch of kids telling you “no” after you slave over a stove to make dinner.
Fortunately, one nutritionist is here to help us figure it out.
Emily Dingmann is a family nutritionist who shares some helpful eating tricks and tips on TikTok for many to follow.
Recently she shared a video on what parents can to do help combat picky eaters in their own families.
Dingmann says to start off, you should avoid some phrases.
Many parents retaliate against kids when they say that they won’t eat whatever is in front of them.
There are some go-to phrases we use with our kids that can cause even more problems and even some trauma around dinner.
Parents will even play into their picky eaters.
Dingmann says before anything, you cannot be making your kids a separate meal.
Making them another meal conditions them to think they can control every meal and get whatever they want.
She also says we “shouldn’t be reactive.”
Being reactive can look like getting angry and frustrated with your kids, or even yelling at them.
Dingmann says to avoid this, and also be sure you don’t take it personally at all. This can feel like an offense to you, but it’s not.
There are some positive things to say.
The nutritionists says one thing to say is, “maybe you’ll try it next time,” to show kids you’re not upset, but you’re also optimistic that they will try new things on their plate in the future.
You can also give them “choice.”
Another thing to say is, “you can choose what to eat off of your own plate.” This gives them accountability and ownership over what they are doing to eat.
You can also say, “you’ll try it when you’re ready,” giving them hope and promise for growth.
Many people on TikTok agreed with the nutritionist online.
“This approach has changed the vibe of dinner times for us. No more arguments! I’ve decided what to make tonight but you can decide what to eat,” one parent commented on the video.
However, some disagreed.
One person commented saying as a child, their parents forced them to eat steak although they didn’t like it. Now, as an adult, they don’t eat meat because of this. So, sometimes this can backfire.
Another added as a child, they went hungry sometimes because of this.
Another commenter said as a child, they had a “texture issue” and it hindered their ability to eat most foods that they were served. There were many nights they went hungry because of this mentality.
And, one person added that adults should respect kids.
While we see kids as not having as big of a say at the dinner table, there were many commenters that said it’s “not hard to cook food that you know your kids like and will eat.”
People definitely had a lot of opinions on the matter!
