[blparent] fruits and veggies

[Jo Elizabeth Pinto]

Hi, Rebecca.  I think, as with almost everything, we're talking about 
balance.  If a child refuses all dinner choices except cocktail weenies and 
root beer, there might be room for some "eat what your given or don't eat" 
in the mix.  But it's true, most adults have some things they just plain 
don't like--I can't stand most cheese and all sour cream and would rather go 
hungry than eat that stuff--so it seems only fair that kids should be 
allowed their food preferences, to an extent.  With Sarah, I'm just trying 
to offer as wide a variety of food experiences as I can, in the hopes that 
eventually she'll be willing to experiment with many tastes and textures.  I 
certainly can't make her eat anything she rejects at this point.  Stephen is 
older, so as much as is possible, I work around his likes and dislikes.  He 
would eat nothing but Burger King, hot dogs, or frozen pizza if left to his 
own devices, and so sometimes we have those things as treats.  Other times, 
I put a meal on the table, and he has to eat at least some of it.  I try to 
remember the dishes he likes best, or at least tolerates, though most of 
what I cook gets little more than a sigh and a nibble at best.  When he has 
really taken exception to the meal at hand, I've willingly offered him 
leftovers from the fridge.  Food is food, and I'd rather have him eat than 
go hungry.  But I'm not a short order cook, I'm not going to make something 
that isn't already on hand, and I'm sure not going to pack up the baby and 
hit the drive-throughs every weekend.  I think I could get too stubborn and 
turn food into a power struggle if I don't make a conscious choice not to, 
so I shoot for moderation and flexibility.

Jo Elizabeth

"Don't throw away the old bucket until you know whether the new one holds 
water."--Swedish proverb
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Pickrell, Rebecca M (IT)" <REBECCA.PICKRELL at ngc.com>
To: "NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 03, 2009 2:43 PM
Subject: Re: [blparent] fruits and veggies


> Maybe it's me, but the "eat what you're given" sounds cruel to me.
> Adults get at least some choice for their meals, why shouldn't kids?
> I can appreciate not wanting to spend say an extra hour cooking, but how
> hard is it to say "You don't want x, I can nuke you (and then fit in
> appropriate options).
> And, when kids are old enough, why can't they be involved in planning
> and prep?