“But they are picky eaters!” This is the complaint I often hear from parents when discussing ways to help their children make better food choices. What most parents fail to realize is that this is a learned behavior not a genetic trait. The good news is that parents can help their kids to UN-learn this behavior. The key to success lies in the commitment to be a strong parent, even when your kids are convinced you are evil incarnate for not letting them have Pop Tarts instead.
When my kids were old enough to start adopting their own opinions about foods my wife and I established a few simple rules. These were the “Rules of Engagement” that we reminded our children of in a calm and “matter of fact” tone when challenges arose. If you make eating anything into a traumatic event you are going to fail, so don’t over-react. Remain even tempered but diligent.
