"Ranée at Arabian Knits" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> sf > wrote:
>
>> I honestly can't say how kids operate. You're more experienced than
>> me by three.
>
> Or five. ;-)
>
>> Both of my kids needed to be told to try new things. I had the three
>> bite rule... they took three bites, not nibbles, and swallowed - then
>> they could quit eating if they still didn't like it.
>
> I don't think ours had to be told to try new things, exactly, but
> they had to take a thank you portion of any food. We also have the
> three bite rule, but that is after they have shown that they aren't
> interested in eating, and they are not sick, and if they don't choose
> reasonable sized bites, we choose the bite size for them.
>
> I'm trying to remember how we handled new foods with Alexander and
> Dominic, because Alexander was our first and Dominic was our pickiest.
> We fed Alexander all that nasty baby food junk, but by the time we had
> Dominic, we just mashed up whatever we had. He had texture hang ups, so
> he didn't eat solid foods until he was ready to eat table food as we
> did. By the time we had Elijah, we pretty much had it settled that our
> children would just eat what we ate. When we had more than three, there
> was just no way I was going to cater four (or more) different meals each
> time we sat down. Our children all know my speech: My job is to
> provide nourishing food for you, whether you eat it or not is your own
> decision. I honestly think it just never occurred to them that they
> could refuse any food because of this. They certainly wouldn't ask for
> another meal. It helps that their dad praises my cooking and tells them
> how fortunate they are to have a mother who prepares such good food for
> them. We've also taught them that when they are offered something as an
> option the only acceptable responses are yes please or no thank you - we
> had some times when we'd offer something (or worse, someone else would)
> and they'd ask for a different thing that wasn't offered or ask what
> else there was. Same thing if given a choice between more than one
> thing, choose from among them, don't ask for something that isn't being
> offered. I just think that's good manners.
>
> But, then, I also try not to make meals that everyone hates, and
> limit the stuff that I know isn't a favorite for particular people. I
> don't make sweet potatoes as much as I like, or squash or buy aged gouda
> as much, things like that, because I know they aren't as popular with
> the rest of the family. OTOH, I never buy mushrooms because I don't
> care for them. I do want them to learn to accept with grace anything
> served them, I think that will help them as guests of others, teach them
> respect for the person who took the trouble of cooking for them and will
> help them if they ever travel overseas or host people from other
> cultures.
>
>> DD used to look
>> at anything new and tell me "Whatever that is, I don't like it". It
>> was very difficult to do the follow through with her. My son (the
>> oldest) was easier, not easy... easier. He told me after he was a
>> father himself that he hated it because after the third bite more
>> often than not *I* was right, but he pretended not to like it to save
>> face... which explained why he didn't protest the next time that item
>> was served.
>
> That's hilarious!
>
>> His son, however, was influenced by someone who took every new food
>> item away as soon as he made a face. So, aversion to anything new was
>> reinforced. It was very hard to overcome and he's still learning to
>> give new foods a try before rejecting them. On the plus side... he's
>> also the kid who loved sushi before he was two. So there's always
>> hope.
>
> I'm surprised at what children will choose if they are simply given
> foods and allowed to discover what they like. Our children ask for
> things like pumpkin soup, lima beans, beans and squash, horseradish. I
> think it helps that they get to help make meals and that we grow some of
> what we eat. The like eating the things we put together.

I bought a food mill for Angela. My intent was to feed her whatever we were
eating, just all mixed up. I never used the mill. I guess I just didn't
have the energy.

We tried the baby food. Mostly she didn't like it. Then at about 4 or 5
months old, she just grabbed some food off my plate and stuck it in her
mouth. I just gave up then and gave her the real thing, restricting some
things until after a year old for fear of allergies. Like whole eggs and
peanuts.

I can remember her eating a whole plate of brushetta at less than a year
old. Husband and I didn't even have a chance at it! She then ate her whole
kid's meal. She had quite an appetite. She also liked to eat the fancy
looking kale that restaurants often used as a garnish back in those days.
Haven't seen any kale on plates recently.