dear emily,
a sweet, young mommy asked me what she could do to help
her toddler eat better. she said that he only wants snacks and
won't eat a bite at meal time.
"it's just the biggest battle every meal and i'm so afraid he isn't
getting enough to eat!"
it took a lot of will power not to smile and say, "honey, you
will look back on this, when he is screeching on two wheels
of his truck out your driveway, and wish this was all you had
to worry about!"
instead, i told her that there were some tricks in establishing
healthy eating habits. if possible, she should save all battles
for any other time, so that her little ones would have happy
memories of family dinner.
easier said than done. we had some doozies at our house, but
here are some pretty fail proof tips to get your toddler to eat:
1. hide all snacks so that is not even an option.
2. put a few healthy, yummy choices out for each meal. who
wants to eat lima beans from a can? gag.
3. make sure your little guy works up an appetite from running
and playing, and i promise he will eat.
4. no dessert until he has eaten the good stuff.
the first day may be rough, but they are such smart little guys
and will fall into line if they see you really mean it. if your
precious angel is especially stubborn, a banana before bed
will help you sleep better.
i used to hide my peas under the cushion of my chair.
love,
lea
"how sweet are Thy words...sweeter than honey..."
psalm 119:103
