Picky Eaters

Picky eating is something that runs in our family.  I was a terrible picky eater.   By the time I reached college, I found some courage and started trying new foods.   But at 38 years of age, I still have a list of foods I really do not want to eat.   Of course, if I had to I could be polite and eat these things.   I would just never choose to eat mushrooms, olives, Alfredo sauce, and a few other things.   They just don't taste good to me.   On the flip side there are many things I love to eat.  Sushi, I could eat it every day and be very very happy.  Almost all types of seafood, prepared just about anyway makes me very happy.   Indian food, Thai food, Vietnamese food, all make me sing happy, happy, joy, joy!    And much more.

I have two beautiful girls and I'm here to tell you, they are both very picky eaters.   When Maddy was a baby, it became apparent that she was definitely choosey on what she would eat.  I blamed myself for not teaching her to eat right, or introducing enough foods, etc.   All the while I was pregnant with Makena, I vowed to do things differently and surely Makena would be a great eater.   Maybe she'd even be such a good eater it would rub off on Madelyn!!    Well, I was humbled yet again in my parenting journey.

Makena is an extremely picky eater.  And not for lack of me trying.  I realized with kid #2, that its not all about what I do or don't do.   Some of this is just who they are.   And Makena is very much afraid of food.  She absolutely will not try new things.   I still put out many new items, over and over, and over.   And most of the time its thrown off her plate.  Yes, thrown...that is a whole seperate blog post.  Madelyn, at 3 1/2 years of age will break out into sobs when I put new foods on her plate  Its plain offensive to even have it on her plate.  But we still try.   Once in a rare while we have a success with a new food, only to be met with screams and crying when we try and serve the new food again.   How fun for us.

Here is where the soap box comes in.   I am very tired of the judging that goes on between parents.  I believe most of us are guilty of it.   I try to remind myself to each his own.   I recently had an experience where another parent was surprised, maybe even shocked, that I wasn't feeding my children what was on my plate.  We had Orange Ginger Tofu Stir-Fry last night.  If your child would eat this, well you definitely get the parental gold-star of the day.   My children would break out into screams if I attempted to feed this to them. That is just not how it goes in this house.    And fantastic for you, if your children will eat whatever you cook.   Maybe this makes me a bad, horrible parent, who's has done an awful job raising them.  Or maybe, just maybe this makes us pretty damn normal.   Someday they will eat things like spaghetti or PB&Js or maybe even Thai food.  But for now, they don't.  And we'll get there.....some how, some day, in our own way.   And hopefully without a lot of needless judging.

Leaving my soap box for now.