A few weeks ago, my son did not eat any of “his favorites” for dinner. This is not unusual, one day he eats like he’s starving and another he’ll toss, more like drop, the food on the floor. But I thought I had scored big time.
It was candied yams and macaroni and cheese—“his favorites.”
He didn’t touch any of them. Two bites and those were bites where I put the fork to his mouth and said, “taste this. You like this.”
After about an hour of me cutting the tv off and trying to reason with him, a toddler, I finally said ‘f-it’ (to myself of course). I asked if he wanted another favorite, strawberry yogurt. He starts to eat it.
Win.
He gets some of the yogurt on his shirt.
“Take off,” he says.
I take off his shirt and walk away. Not far, just a few feet to finish washing the dishes. His back is turned to me but as his proud mom I decide to check on how he’s doing with his yogurt. When I get to him, he’s taking the spoon and rubbing all of the yogurt on his chest. I didn’t mention that we are potty training and he likes to be naked, so he is naked, rubbing yogurt all over his chest with his spoon and occasionally with his hands. Yogurt is falling everywhere. I take the yogurt away.
“You don’t really want this yogurt,” I say as he slathers this milky substance over his body.
When I walk back over to finally abandon eating dinner all together, he is sucking yogurt off his fingers, as happy as can be. This is our two-year-old Kade.
I really don’t have an answer for picky eating toddlers. We eat a lot of rice because he loves rice—one of “his favorites.” We eat our fair share of sweet potatoes because he’ll eat sweet potatoes. He’s not a big meat eater, but sometimes chicken—Chick Fil-A is our close friend—and definitely ground beef. He will do bananas and strawberries. We try to persuade him to try veggies but the only green food he’ll eat is avocado and here and there sweet peas (if they are in rice).
There are some wins though. He loves cookies that he’ll try without hesitation. Any kind of treat or snack such as goldfish or pretzels or chips. He would prefer to have those as his standard meals.
But the real win came the other day when we had a playdate at Chuck E. Cheese.
Kade and his friend ran and played and had the best time. It was so gratifying to watch. When the food arrived, it was a pepperoni pizza and fries. Kade does not like pizza. (I know, what kid doesn’t like pizza?) After he ate a couple lackluster fries, I say, “try your pizza.”
He looks down, picks up his pizza, turns it so the crust was facing his mouth and he took a bite. Then he took another and another. With his mouth a greasy mess, he said, “mommy sit down.” I was standing up filming this historic moment—he had tried a food that he normally dislikes. But I did as I was told, sat down beside him as he ate a little more of his slice of pizza. At that moment, he seemed to like the food that was before him. I was a proud mommy.
Another win, for both of us.
Jennifer N. Shannon is a writer, author, photographer and essayist who grew up in a small town in South Carolina. She wrote her first novel twenty years ago so she could experience people like the ones she knew from her hometown. The beckon by similar voices (and the fact that she’s now a mother and an almost wife) continues to lead her to pen and paper. Connect with her on IG and FB @writerjns or jennifernshannon.com
I don't know why Kade rubbing yogurt on his chest cracks me up. (I'm not laughing at your pain Jennifer.) Maybe because I'm on the other side of that part of mothering. But, I love that he feels free and safe enough to just do the thing. Another win, mom.
Omg! I’ve been going thru the same thing with my 14 month old son! Hes become so picky all of a sudden but he absolutely loves fries/potatoes in any form but I know he can’t just eat potatoes! I’ve been feeling so bad bcuz I love to cook and he used to try all my lil meals and gobble them up and now I’m having to practically wrestle with him or wait for an hour for him to pick thru some meals! It’s good to know this is totally normal even he only eats his favorite yogurt or fruit that at least it’s something and win is a win!!! 🙌🏽