Sunday, June 5, 2011

Green Cuisine?!

Alright so I don't know about your child but my E.G. is a one-hit wonder with food.  I have tried multiple ways to get her to eat that I will list below....
1) Eating in front of her/with her.  I will make her plate look like mine and then sit down and eat with her and talk about how delicious the food is (which is typically a lie, I am not exactly "skilled in a kitchen", but what does she know, sure she is an evil genius but i haven't taken her tons of classy restaurants to dine in.  That's what Uncle Joe and Gina are for (and judging by Joe's discomfort at the past three dining out experiences I am thinking we have quite a bit of time before Iris has any classy dining experiences). Anyhow, I like thinking that maybe the peer pressure (assuming people 28 years older than her are considered peers) will convince her to eat what I am eating and enjoy it...or even eat as much as me! WRONG!
2) I turn regular food into PRINCESS FOOD!  I will put sprinkles on ANYTHING to make her eat it.  This has about a 50% success rating.  This works especially well on breakfast foods (waffles, pancakes, toast, etc) but I have also tried it on fruits or a peanut butter sandwich.  By putting sprinkles on foods you instantly turn a food from regular commoner food into evil genius princess food!  MAGIC!
3) I feed her foods that she has enjoyed in the past or that EVERY kid on the planet enjoys. Peanut butter and jelly, ravioli, chicken nuggets, french fries...the list goes on.  She will typically try or eat something once but then its pretty much a gamble on if she will ever eat it again, though with my luck, she probably won't.
4) I let her try to make her own food. I fell like if she helps maybe she will want to eat the food she puts so much hard work into.  This works for me!  I actually tend to eat it before it is even done cooking!  I LOVE what I make!  Iris hasn't really impressed herself with her cooking skills up to this point.
5) I tell her that if she eats *insert name of food you would like eaten*, it will make her poop stink.  While this sounds disgusting it has worked!  I found out about this at the pediatrician's office.  The doctor prescribed Augmentin for her and said "That has worked for her in the past, right?" to which I responded "Yes, but it makes her poop stink so badly."  She couldn't wait to get home and take her medicine....a new method getting her to eat is born!

OK so all of these presumably genius ideas have failed and I am left with a kid who isn't eating.  I have tried to threaten her with the "if you don't eat this you don't eat the rest of the night" but who really suffers after that...ME.  She is then up at 2 in the morning asking if she can eat and telling me that she "had a pretty good nap" but is ready to be up now.  So what does she eat regularly....HER BOOGERS!  WHAT?!  Aside from the fact that it is pretty disgusting it makes me crazy!  Why would she want to eat boogers (which, believe it or not, I do not eat!) when the food I make apparently isn't good enough!  Am I to assume that my cooking tastes worse than boogers!?>  OUCH!  And she totally rejects the idea of not eating them!  She thoroughly enjoys them.  For example, upon watching Iris pick her nose and saying "Need a tissue?"  She will respond with "No, I'm gonna eat this!"  She will also volunteer her services to me! "Mom", "Yes, Iris?" "You want me to eat your boogers?" "No thanks, I'm good, but I appreciate the offer", "Mom", "Yes?" "I'm gonna eat your boogers" "No please don't!" "YES!"

In conclusion I have no answers to this one. Do I disguise her food to look like boogers?  Shove her food up her nose first and then we're both happy?!  Tell her that the foods will make her boogers taste better?!  I am going to try all of these methods and report back!  I am hoping something works because this predominantly booger diet can't possibly be healthy! 

1 comment: