When it proves particularly difficult to convince children to eat healthy foods, some parents start acting like confused diplomats. The child’s pressure for sweet foods can, in combination with their forceful rejection of other foods, lead to very questionable deals – for example: If you eat your carrots, you will get your vanilla pudding…
Calling off negotiations
It is, of course completely understandable how parents give in to their tough little picky eaters, and end up by agreeing to some sort of horse trading. These deals mustn’t become the norm however. Accepting to give your child cake in exchange for some bites of broccoli, would inevitably lead to the routine of always finishing a meal with something less healthy. Or even worse, you would be teaching kids that vegetables and Co. are absolutely disgusting, as they would perceive the consumption of cucumbers and broccoli as coercion, and will at best see them as bargaining tools to negotiate something sweet in return. Such food morals will take a heavy toll in the long run and seriously affect your child’s healthy growth. As parents you should furthermore avoid getting cornered and always keep the upper hand in such important matters. When trying to win your child over for something healthy, more often than not, you will have to rely on your patience and creativity. This effort however is undeniably better than having to negotiate over every single pea, or to trade a chocolate bar for every little bean.