Don't eat me!

I used this technique a few times in the past couple weeks.  This is usually my last resort.  Now, you may not want to do this in public, unless you don't get embarrassed easily. 

A couple weeks ago we had a picnic and made a black bean salad with sardines.  The kids weren't trying it, so I pretended to be the voice of the little fish.  I started talking to the kids in a little funny voice.  "Hi, I'm the sardine on your spoon.  I just wanted to ask that you not eat me.  I'm very very nice and want to be your friend.  So please don't eat me."  OK, that's about as far as I got since the kids took the bite with gusto.  It's a little bit of reverse psychology and a little bit of play, but it seems to never fail.  Try it the next time you are stuck with a food.

The name game

It's zucchini season and we've gotten quite a bit of it at the farmer's markets and in our CSA share this week.  So of course, I tried experimenting with the zucchini again tonight.  I asked the kids to make up a new name for the zucchini.  My son suggested "kiwi's friend."  He had a couple of kiwis yesterday and very much enjoyed them.  I'm assuming that he was trying to project the kiwi's delicious taste on the zucchini.  It must have worked since he ate his share without any other comments.  My youngest played along too and suggested "pear" and "apple" as her names.  She ate quite a bit of her zucchini, also.  My oldest daughter didn't give a name, but she still ate her share and asked for seconds.  Now these are the same three kids that refused to eat the zucchini (prepared the same way) a week ago.

Making up a name gives the child a little more control over the veggies they are eating.  Try it next time you are stumped when the kids refuse to eat the vegetable.