Probably the biggest area of parental concern for us (thus far) has been eating. Madeline is consistently inconsistent on what she eats, how much she eats, and what she likes to eat. At times it's been frustrating. Slowly but surely we are making progress. For awhile there we were certain that she'd be eating baby food for her entire life. Both Darrin and I worry about her picky eating habits. Since both of us were extremely picky eaters growing up (until we lived in foreign countries and didn't have a choice), we really want her to have diversified tastebuds. (And at this point, I must acknowledge my extremely patient mother who suffered through my refusal to eat most foods during much of childhood. I existed mainly on peanut butter & jelly, ground beef, cheese, and applesauce. I wouldn’t even eat normal childhood favorites: no spaghetti, no mac & cheese, no pizza with toppings. That’s right, I scraped the cheese off my pizza. It’s downright shameful.)
Madeline has several favorites that are never refused. Well, make that almost never….she is a toddler after all. The favorites include: mac & cheese (but only in Kraft’s long shape, NOT shells), grilled cheese, pb&j, applesauce, yogurt, and pizza to name a few.
We have a love/hate relationship with a few foods. Bananas, pasta with sauce, and casseroles top the list. She's quite unpredictable at times.
The foods we haven’t been so lucky with include: any veggies and most meats. We like to try soups, but so far Madeline just thinks that soup is something to dip chips or crackers in.
Eating out is a whole different story. Madeline is well behaved and entertains herself, but many times she's too entertained with her surroundings and doesn't eat much at all. Sometimes we just revert back to Cheerios. This is true for both eating at friends' houses and at restaurants. Oh well. She stays busy and doesn't cause trouble. Believe me, I'm grateful for that.
We have a love/hate relationship with a few foods. Bananas, pasta with sauce, and casseroles top the list. She's quite unpredictable at times.
The foods we haven’t been so lucky with include: any veggies and most meats. We like to try soups, but so far Madeline just thinks that soup is something to dip chips or crackers in.
Eating out is a whole different story. Madeline is well behaved and entertains herself, but many times she's too entertained with her surroundings and doesn't eat much at all. Sometimes we just revert back to Cheerios. This is true for both eating at friends' houses and at restaurants. Oh well. She stays busy and doesn't cause trouble. Believe me, I'm grateful for that.
This weekend we had a few mini breakthroughs. We’ve made a triumphant return to eating bananas. Madeline finally sampled some fresh pear after literally weeks of offering it. And she nibbled on a celery stick smothered in peanut butter. That counts, right?
For now we just vow to keep trying and keep offering new foods. We figure that each baby step closer to getting more foods in her belly is at least a start.
Madeline most times eats good at Gma's. She will eventually eat more foods - these words coming from a meat and potatoes mostly eater. Don't worry. You and Darrin both were at an adult age when you started eating other food. Think of it this way, if Madeline goes away to a country to study while in college, then she will eat like Mommy and Daddy. :)
ReplyDeleteYOU HAVE A BLOG! I didn't even know! Now it's my turn to "cyber stalk" you :)
ReplyDeleteAnd can I just say...Lily and Madeline could be TWINS on the eating front. Practically every last thing you wrote in this post is something I could say about my own darling daughter. It drives me batty some days when she turns up her nose at things that just days before she was devouring!
And the meat...don't even get me started! You would think she's a vegatarian!
If you figure out any "tricks" to getting them to eat better, be sure to let me know :)
We joke that Madeline might be the first ever Dowell vegetarian!
ReplyDeleteIt can only get better, right? :)