Dinner time: that magical hour when everything goes wrong. If your kid routinely says, "I don't like it," even before trying the food, you might be doing what I did—staring at a plate of untouched broccoli, wondering if tonight's the night you just give up.
Here's what actually worked for us: stop fighting and start negotiating. Offer a choice: "You can try the carrots or the peas. Which will it be?" This flips the script, giving them some control (kids love control, don’t they?). I tried this on a random Tuesday at about 7:15 PM, and to my surprise, my daughter picked the peas. It's hit or miss, but hey, it got a pea in her mouth.
Kids resist new foods because, to them, new means suspicious. They're like cats that way; the unfamiliar is often met with distrust. Evolutionarily speaking, this might protect them from poisonous berries, I guess. But in the end, it’s just broccoli, not toxic nightshade.
Practical Strategies:
- Start small: A tiny