Our daughter, the selective eater, made history the other week. She ate sausage for the first time and enjoyed it. This was a big deal for a chipmunk – I mean a child – who was notorious for holding hard-to-chew foods in her mouth. I almost cried tears of joy as she whisked one piece after another off mommy’s plate, in addition to a handful of sweet potato wedges and broccoli.
Isn’t it funny how a sausage, and simple moments like this, can make your day as a mom?
When it was time to decide on the meal for the following night, of course, I prepared our favourite Rowe Farm sausages. My husband and I naively sat at the table expecting a repeat from the previous evening. I knew better, but remained optimistic. We anxiously watched Sienna fiddle with her fork while anticipating ‘the moment’. When she didn’t make the move for the sausage, my husband gave her a little nudge saying: “Look! It’s the same sausage you loved last night. Want a bite?“. (TIP: Don’t follow our footsteps here. It is best not to say anything. Statements like this can be interpreted as a form of ‘pressure’ and the result will be resistance). So I was not surprised to hear her answer – a heartfelt “NO”.
Just when I thought her love for sausage had died, last night it made a comeback when Sienna chowed down on one for dinner. And she found a new love – corn on the cob (organic of course). Whether she will love it tomorrow, who knows?
We’ve played this game before with a whole host of foods: smoothie popsicles, chia pudding, blueberries, tomatoes, and even the beloved pasta. Our little ones know how to keep us on our toes with their fickleness. Try not to overanalyze their reaction or show your frustration. This fickleness is simply a part of toddlerhood. Just remove all expectations (the good and the bad) and go with their flow. Hey, at least our little ones keep things interesting!
