Category: Parent Talk
I'm not sure whether to consider these small problems or what.
Getting a child to eat vegetables? It isn't easy with my daughter. She likes any kind of beans, red, kidney, black, but this is about it for the vegetables. I buy soups & spaghetti sauces with vegetables, but with the latter I have to...bad Squidward...lie and say 'No' when she asks "Are there vegetables in it?" so she doesn't refuse to eat it. I'm personally not a big fan of salad but do eat vegetables in soups, sauces, legumes like beans and lentils.
She is shy with unknown adults, to which her father takes more issue than myself. I'd rather have a child who is shy with unknown adults than have to sit her down, like a cop acquaintance, and seriously tell her "Sweetie you don't have to tell every grownup you meat 'My name is _____ I live at _____address and both of my parents are cops'." Actual story. Husband takes more issue when she doesn't always respond to adults' hellos and goodbyes, although she is generally responsive to kids. I've told her "You need to say hello and goodbye back when they're given to you", but other than that don't quite know what to do.
Your not going to like this, but most of the problems kids have with vegetables, is caused because adults cook the hell out of them. Boiling, and nearly any process that involves water, minnus steaming, blanches the vegetables; that is to say takes pretty much all the flavor out of them, and makes them taste like mush soilant green. You might try presenting the vegetables in a new, fun, and tasty way.
For example, french fries, are actually vegetables. Why do kids like them, because they taste good. If you can make other things taste good too, they'll eat those too.
When I was growing up, my big thing was cabbage, I hated it, until my mom discovered that I absolutely adored spam and cabbage. Don't ask me why, I had strange tastes as a child. Now, how did she get me to eat cabbage after that? Why she put spam in it, of course.
Present the vegetables in a tasty way, and the child will eat them.
A really good thing to watch for this kind of thing, is an episode of the show "good eats" called give peas a chance I believe. I'm pretty sure its on youtube. Its all about getting children to eat peas, and it presents ways to prepare them that I would have never thought of.
As for the shyness, give her time, she'll probably grow out of it. Some children are just shy for a while.
I'd agree with the last post, plus, cut things up into snack-ish sizes: even carrots into strips, etc.
The shyness issue is definitely not a problem. The oldd, tired stereotypical statement of "pick your battles" really is true, and most things we as parents get ourselves all worked up over (the father in your case), really don't amount to much later.
By the time she's sixteen he'll wonder what he was all bothered about.
Addressing the shyness, my daughter is also shy and I'm glad she is for the most part. My cousin didn't know a stranger when she was little. I'd rather be safe than sorry and have my daughter shy. I do have her say things like hi and bye to family and friends that she isn't comfortable with yet. I have her pay attention if these people are talking to her and help her answer them. But when it comes to strangers, I'd rather her not talk to them. I'm rather shy myself and as an adult, it tends to suck at times, so I'm hoping she'll grow out of it some as she grows, but I'm happy with how she is for now.
as for the veggies. You can make fruit smoothis and put loads of different veggies in them. You can't taste the veggies. Cody gave some great ideas also. Leo did as well. Perhaps try the carrot sticks with a bit of ranch for dipping. you can also use other dips. You can make ants on a log. It's a celery stick with peanut butter and raisins on it. kids tend to love them. I'd suggest googling kids recipes and see if you can find fun ways to present the veggies and even let your daughter help prepare them. I'll see what I can dig up from my recipe collection.
Veggie pizza is another great one that she could help make. bake crescent rolls in a pizza crust shape, then let her help you spread a ranch dressing of some sort on that. then put raw veggies such as carrots, celery, broccoli, califlauer, cucumbers, radishes, and anything else you'd like.
It's probably too late this year, but you could do a small veggie garden and let daughter help plant and care for it. If she's involved, she's more likely to eat them.
Hope something here helps.
hi my name is little foot I have a one year daughter and it is hard for me to stop her from getting her to stop unplugging things. how do I stop this problem.
to the orrigional poster. try maybe having a grazing tray? have vedgies on it mainly raw with different kinds of dipping sosses. one sweet one, another like a ranch, and maybe an ovacato dip.
for the second poster either block access to the plugs, or unplug anything not needed and put in plug covers. Kids are going to be curius. you have to keep up with them. if they can get to a particular outlet easily put a chair or something else in the path that's hard to get around hth.
My kids eat sweet potato fries. Better for you than regular fries. Kids also tend to go for the sweeter stuff, corn, carrots, cherry tomatoes, sweet potatoes... But I also give them peas, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, but I put a little salt & pepper on them & they like that too. They also like dipping. Maybe she'll like raw veggies & dip. My son doesn't much care for cooked veggies, but he will eat "crunchy" ones. My rules are:
You have to at least try it before you can say you don't like it & if you don't eat this meal, maybe you'll be hungry the next one. I refuse to force them to eat. If you haven't tried it, don't tell me you don't like it, but don't worry, 'cuz maybe you'll want what's for lunch. I also don't make anything that I would never eat; brussel's sprouts, spinach, anchovies... Blech! Lol.
ooooo i love raw spinach. I make a salad withh tthat cut up karrots, apples rasens and cheese. Apryl's still too young for it, but I find it yummy. haha