Anyone who's ever known anything about children knows they go through phases and stages. We also know that most kids, at some point in their growing up, they enter into a picky phase. They develop an attachment to a favorite toy, a favorite movie, and favorite foods. Here's the problem: once they have their favorites everything else is alienated. Ashley and Jane are this way about food (Olivia will eat anything at this point and Molly's still on the bottle). They have probably a list of ten to twelve foods that they would happily eat, but suggest anything outside that short list and meltdowns ensue.
They weren't always like this. When they turn one and you can start introducing a lot of different foods into their diet, they were both like miniature "foodies." I would say it was at about the two-and-a-half to three-year mark that their willingness to eat anything diminished rapidly. I've also noticed, as I'm sure is the case with many siblings, Jane tends to follow suit with however her older sister reacts to situations. To say the least, getting these girls to branch out is a very hard task to undertake.
So how do you conquer this uphill battle? Bribery is both expensive and, well, not really a good attitude towards the situation. So, I thought maybe I just project a better attitude about it. The other night, I came home with broccoli, some rice, and a wonderful fish called steelhead (a tasty cousin of salmon). When I got home, I declared to my girls, "An Evening of Adventure." They were miraculously excited about trying something new, and they loved everything! The fish was very tasty, Amy made her signature baked broccoli, and we had an incredibly fun evening.
What's so great about being a dad? When I approached a situation with a good attitude, my kids amazed me with their attitudes. It taught me a lot. Thanks for reading.
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