From: kathleen@cbnewsb.cb.att.com (kathleen.s.romanowski)
Subject: feeding a picky toddler - followup
Keywords: article from Parents 2/93 issue
Organization: AT&T
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 21:30:48 GMT

First of all, let me publicly thank the many people, moms and dads,
who responded to my plea of help for feeding my finicky, 2-1/2 year
old son.  Your responses were wonderful; I have changed my behavior
and mealtimes are no longer unpleasant for me.

Most of the advice was the same:  puree veggies and use them as
a sauce for noodles/rice, offer a variety of foods and let him pick
what he wants to eat (make sure the foods offer a variety of healthy
choices), let him eat what he wants and the amount he wants because
he is no longer in a growth spurt and doesn't need the amount of
calories I imagine, ignore the doctor's advice to start encouraging
him to eat more veggies.  That one was my favorite!  He hates veggies
and this made the meal time a battleground.  Thanks for your help!

Also, I wanted to post, without permission, an article from the
February 1993 Parents magazine.  There are some other helpful hints
on feeding kids without pulling your hair out.

How To Instill a Healthy Attitude About Food (from Parents 2/93)

Letting children decide the dinner menu is a recipe for disaster, right?

"Not necessarily," says Helen Hendy, Ph.D., assistant professor of 
psychology at The Pennsylvania State University at Schuylkill.  After
surveying 182 parents and teachers and studying 36 preschoolers, she found
that giving your children a say in what goes on their plates encourages
them to eat a healthy diet.  

"When children are given options, they'll eat the food simply because
they like it - and they'll feel proud about being able to make
decisions on their own," says Hendy.  She cautions, however, that choices
work only when all of the options are healthful foods.  And they work
best when you keep in mind the following:

Start small.  Even the littlest choices at mealtime encourage a child to
try new foods.  Ask your preschooler, "Would you like sausage on your
pizza, or would you like it plain?"  As he/she grows older, broaden the
options - for instance, would he/she prefer pizza or pasta?

Explore different environments.  The dinner table should not be the only
place where foods are introduced.  When you let your child handle fruits
and vegetables in the store, kitchen, or garden, the food will become
more familiar - and possibly more appetizing.

Serve pint-size portions.  Your child is more likely to say yes to green
beans if they are not piled on his/her plate.  "Give him/her the option
of eating a few," says Hendy.  This way, the task seems less formidable,
and your child feels good about cleaning his/her plate.

Be a role model.  Parents and siblings can set good examples.  Seeing
people she respects eating a tomato, for example, or other kinds of 
fruits and vegetables, will eventually tempt your preschooler to choose
these foods too.

Encourage experimentation.  Praise your child, not necessarily for
liking the tomato, but for tasting it.  "Telling him/her, `I'm so
proud of you - you're a food taster,' will encourage a child to try
even more foods," says Hendy.

Do not offer rewards.  "Giving a child a cookie in exchange for eating 
broccoli only convinces him/her that the vegetable tastes terrible," 
explains Hendy.

Also, on page 134 of the same issue, dealing with picky eaters in
the 3- to 4-year-old group is addressed.

Katie Romanowski
mom to Ricky, age 2-1/2