When your picky eater says “Yuck!”
“Yuck, I don’t want that!” I used to hear this pretty regularly from my Picky Eater.
*Sigh*.
Being a parent of three kiddos, each with their own set of food likes and dislikes was pretty challenging. But my Picky Eater took it to the next level. They’d ask “what’s for dinner” and before I could even finish my sentence, they’ll roll right into complaints!
Because of the work that I do now, I realize that the reason my Picky Eater went straight to complaining was an anxiety response. They were worried about showing up to the table to a completely unfamiliar menu. My Picky Eater was preemptively rejecting dinner in an attempt to get away from something that may be uncomfortable.
If I could rewind time (if only!) here are a few things that I’d tell myself about how to handle rude comments from the “Peanut Gallery”:
Empathize without getting drawn into the drama.
Consistency
Stay on course
Stay neutral
Frame your response using the “sandwich” strategy.
If Picky Eating is stressing you and your family, reach out at Karen@CoastalFamilyNutrition.com or call the office at 603-674-2479. I’m happy to help.
Snack Idea: Mini tomatoes, cucumber slices & pretzel sticks with ranch (or other dressing)
Please feel free to share this with someone who may like to learn more about feeding kiddos!
1/12/2025
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