Last night was day 4 of my challenge and it was another successful meal in many ways. The food was pretty simple: Pasta, sauce from a jar, frozen meatballs and garlic bread. It wasn't fancy or made from scratch, but I have learned that's ok. Mariana also joined us again, acted like the delightful little girl she usually is, and she ate without protest! I used the same approach as the night before where everything was set out on the table "family style." The great thing about serving dinner that way, I have observed, is even if she says she doesn't want something at first, like meatballs, for example, if she looks at it long enough, she eventually decides to give it a shot. Rene and I are also learning that the less of a fuss we make about what she's eating, the better. When she asked for the meatball, even though I wanted to do a little cheer and give Rene a high-five, I refrained. Instead, I gave her the meatball and pretended like I didn't notice she was taking a bite. I'm trying not get too excited about this success. As my wise mother reminded me today, kids are always changing their games so parents have to always change their's, too. This strategy may be working to get Mariana to eat this week, but we will see what next week brings. Nonetheless, I'm proud of Rene and I for holding our ground. I think it will definitely make meal times a lot more enjoyable for the long term.
I want to take a quick moment to thank those of you who have made comments, either on this blog or on facebook. Your comments and support have helped to validate the importance of advocating for family meal times. You have also helped to guid me through my challenge with my daughter. I am very gratefule to each of you for following my blog! Many thanks!
No comments:
Post a Comment