Thursday, March 25, 2010
My wife made the observation tonight about how much she likes Hoss' exploring new foods on his own. We've never really forced him to try anything new. It helps that he's really curious by personality, so he is more likely to try something on his own than to accept us forcing it on him.
Take salad for example.
Yes. Salad.
He loves it. He eats baby spinach, romaine, croutons. And all of that was of his own accord. We are as shocked as most people we tell it to are. I just figured salad was going to be in that category of food that he'll eat when he goes to college and there's nothing else in the cafeteria that is palatable.
But one day, we were eating a baby spinach salad with our meal and he told us that he wanted to try some (by pointing at the salad and making his sweet grunting noises). From then on he just wants it when we are eating it.
We were talking about it tonight, and I think the biggest help in this usual parental struggle is that Hoss has the power to choose. We give him choices for dinner and we don't make food a battle. Perhaps there is a stage that is yet to pass where it will be harder, but for now we are enjoying the respite of his curiosity with food.
Much of the reading we've come across usually teaches that toddlers like their independence. The fierce 'no' struggles are evidence of a little person who is trying to figure out boundaries and what power they have. And on top of that, exercise some level of independence.
I'm not exactly advocating a 'who cares?' kind of attitude here, where you just let your child make all sorts of decisions and you follow willy-nilly. No that would degrade pretty quickly, I think. Possibly into unsafe situations ('Oh, you want to play in the street? I guess that's ok.'). But having a structure where there is freedom to choose can be empowering.
What are your thoughts? How much 'freedom' is too much? What areas can you see where it might benefit everyone if you gave a little more choosing power to your little one? Please leave your thoughts below!
Thanks and God bless...
Take salad for example.
Yes. Salad.
He loves it. He eats baby spinach, romaine, croutons. And all of that was of his own accord. We are as shocked as most people we tell it to are. I just figured salad was going to be in that category of food that he'll eat when he goes to college and there's nothing else in the cafeteria that is palatable.
But one day, we were eating a baby spinach salad with our meal and he told us that he wanted to try some (by pointing at the salad and making his sweet grunting noises). From then on he just wants it when we are eating it.
We were talking about it tonight, and I think the biggest help in this usual parental struggle is that Hoss has the power to choose. We give him choices for dinner and we don't make food a battle. Perhaps there is a stage that is yet to pass where it will be harder, but for now we are enjoying the respite of his curiosity with food.
Much of the reading we've come across usually teaches that toddlers like their independence. The fierce 'no' struggles are evidence of a little person who is trying to figure out boundaries and what power they have. And on top of that, exercise some level of independence.
I'm not exactly advocating a 'who cares?' kind of attitude here, where you just let your child make all sorts of decisions and you follow willy-nilly. No that would degrade pretty quickly, I think. Possibly into unsafe situations ('Oh, you want to play in the street? I guess that's ok.'). But having a structure where there is freedom to choose can be empowering.
What are your thoughts? How much 'freedom' is too much? What areas can you see where it might benefit everyone if you gave a little more choosing power to your little one? Please leave your thoughts below!
Thanks and God bless...
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