I have a confesson to make.
I blog easy and healthy recipes for toddlers (and their busy parents). I love being in the kitchen and I especially love making things for my toddler Nicholas. I would happily spend all of my free time cooking for him.
But (deep breath)…
I have a fussy eater.
There, I’ve finally admitted it. My toddler often refuses to eat what I spend so much time preparing for him and which I then blog giving the impression that he scoffs everything (well at least I think that’s the impression I give).
Having a fussy eater wasn’t in my agenda. Hubby and I are foodies through and through, and food is a big part of our lives.
We did baby-lead weaning immediately, got Nicholas smelling and touching and trying a vast arrange of foods very early on. He happily ate tomatoes and whole broccoli stems as well as other vegetables during his first stages of weaning. I tried to limit the amount of fruit in favour of more veg to encourage his tastebuds to explore not just sweet flavours.
Then he started becoming fussy. Just a little bit. I kept telling myself it’s a normal phrase; it will pass. But it didn’t. I’d hear other mums complain about their fussy toddlers and think ‘I’m glad that’s not us’. But it was.
He got fussier and fussier, and our ‘fussy phase’ goes on and on.
I long for the days when he happily tried pretty much everything he was offered rather than the ‘No! NO!’ and ‘Finished mummy’ (while handing back an untouched plate) I get now. His refusals mainly involve vegetables, even picking out the tiniest pieces from dishes, holding them aloft and declaring ‘No broccoli mummy!’, and not touching meat dishes (usually the only thing he never fusses over) when there’s hidden veg lurking (how does he know when he hasn’t even tasted it?!).
I’ve had a post in my draft section for many many months. A post giving advice for fussy eaters (!). It’s a work in progress as I keep adding things I’ve researched or tips that have worked (although aren’t a ‘cure’). It may be a while before I feel ready to post it!
Now that my shoulders are a little lighter (it always feels better to get something off one’s chest), while I wistfully look at old photos of Nicholas loving food, if any of you lovely readers have some fussy eater advice, please share!
thegingerbreadmum 