I have the most stubborn breakfast-eater on the face of the planet. Oh, I am sure that there are some children who might almost measure up, but my daughter will happily go without food until noon if I let her. I try not to let her. In fact, I have been known to beg, cajole, plead, threaten, and use all sorts of untoward parenting behaviors just to get her to eat a few bites. I believe that she is truly not all that hungry in the morning, but unfortunately she has blood sugar crashes if she doesn’t eat until later … Continue reading →
Using up your leftovers or having planned leftovers for meals is a great way to save money. You can use up all of the food you have through leftovers, especailly getting free meals. Also, cooking in bulk can save money and time. But not everyone is big on leftovers. Before I became frugal, I wouldn’t touch a leftover for my life. People who don’t like leftovers either avoid them because of some pre-determined idea that they won’t taste as good as the original or a feeling of being deprived, or a worry about being too cheap. Kids especially don’t like … Continue reading →
The title of this children’s picture book brought me up short when I saw it at the library, and then I just had to pick it up. I loved it. Little Achilles Crocodile has always eaten bananas for his breakfast, and every morning, his mother compliments him on how big and strong he’s getting. But one day, he decides he’s not going to eat his bananas. What he really would like is to eat a child. “But children don’t grow on trees!” his mother points out, and tries to get him to eat his bananas. He refuses. So his father … Continue reading →
Picky eaters and battling with finicky children during meal time may seem to be family ritual for some families. In trying to figure out what is going on and why, it might help to look for clues. For example, do you have a child who is only picky at a particular meal or time of day? It might be about the types of food you are offering or some other reality of that time of day. I have known children who had a hard time at breakfast and it was because of breakfast food. As a matter of fact, when … Continue reading →
A few days ago, while waiting for the twins to be done with “Farm Camp”, my oldest and I killed a couple of hours by running errands. Now running errands doesn’t sound a bit fun, particularly not on a beautiful summer day. So to make it more fun, we didn’t just pick up what we needed and run as we usually do. We lingered. And we stopped in stores that we never have time to go in. Our favorite find was a gourmet food store. We were thrilled to see some of the yummy chocolates and candy we ate in … Continue reading →
“Alvie Eats Soup” is a whimsical tale about a boy who will only eat soup. It’s his favorite thing in the world! In fact, he’s so obsessed with the stuff, his first word was “mulligatawny.” He cried whenever someone tried to give him a cookie or a banana; he just wouldn’t have any of it. As he grew older, his tastes didn’t change at all, to the great discouragement of his parents. His little sister Delilah would eat anything. Why couldn’t he be more like Delilah, his parents wanted to know? And to top it off, his grandmother was a … Continue reading →
If you have a child who is a picky eater you probably have spent time worrying that their nutritional needs aren’t being met. I know I have. If you have a child who is a picky eater, you may want to try what’s called the “One- Bite Rule”. Tyler’s father has used it to try and get Tyler to try new things and low and behold, I found out this morning that it’s actually a method suggested by dieticians, nurses and pediatricians. As I was reading my morning email, the current issue of the newsletter, Family Education offered a few … Continue reading →
To those of you who were looking for the Sneaky Mama and her recipes, she had to take a little break! But she’s back with some great new recipes to try with your picky eaters. If you’re wondering who on earth the Sneaky Mama is–that would be me. As we were discussing our little munchkins who would only eat yellow foods, or wouldn’t eat fruits and vegetables, I mentioned that I had some very sneaky ways to get my seriously picky eater to eat healthy foods. For a recap, you might want to look up some of my other Sneaky … Continue reading →
With more and more parents tired of fattening and calorie-laden school lunches, the number of brown bag lunches is on the rise. However, being a single parent, while trying to find a few precious minutes to pack something healthy and delicious can be difficult. In this article, I wanted to provide you with some helpful dos and don’ts for making your kid’s lunch easier and better. For starters, try getting your kids involved with the planning and preparing of the lunch. This way, you will find fewer moans and groans. Next, steer clear from making the traditional bologna and cheese … Continue reading →
Is your child a picky eater? Creative food play might help. In San Antonio, Texas, a group of families who have children with Sensory Integration Dysfunction (DSI)–and other eating disorders– get their kids together for a special kind of play group once a month. They appropriately named their program “FED UP.” Each “Fed Up” meeting not only provides a social opportunity for the preschoolers and toddlers involved, but it’s based around a theme. On one gathering, the theme was “balls and circles.” The children began their socializing in a ball pit in a tent to warm them up to the … Continue reading →
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