4 Tips For Parents of Picky Eaters

Does your child hate to sit down for a meal?  Does he/she love veggies one day and then have no interest in them another day?  Does he/she stress you out with his/her picky eating?  If so, try these 4 tips for picky eaters

  1.  Cut out shapes.  A pancake, omelette, or sandwich for instance, can easily turn into a fun shape with the help of a cookie cutter.  I like to incorporate this idea into all my holiday meals.  (stars for fourth of July, hearts for Valentine’s, bears for an animal themed 2nd birthday). picky eaters, tips for picky eaters, pancakes, food art toddler foodIf you have time to get more elaborate, you can even use a bento cutter like my bear face cutter (used below) and have your child help you draw a face (with edible markers). edible marker IMG_0746
  2. Slice and Skewer.  Has your toddler suddenly banned fruit or veggies? instagram.com_2015-07-02_22-21-52 party foodmeisterdishSkewers seem to magically disguise previously unwanted foods.  It has worked for me and maybe it will work for you.
  3. Choose fun dishes.  We use these fun Fred & Friends dishes – here are some examples of how you can decorate them with food.face dishfred and friendsThe melamine hairstyle versions featured above are the nonbreakable versions and what I’d recommend for babies and toddlers. Skiphop, Sanrio and Disney are all great bets too if your child has a favorite character like Mickey, or Hello Kitty.
  4. Enlist their help!  My daughter has had so much fun helping me mix ingredients together during our cooking and baking sessions that she now asks to sleep with her whisk she loves it so much!  Getting her involved with the process of cooking has interested her in tasting the final product even more.

In the end, if all else fails, and your picky eater still won’t eat 3 sit-down meals, don’t fret.  Rest assured in knowing that pediatricians say that as long as they have 1 decent meal and are growing at a normal weight and height that you don’t have to pull your hair out worrying and stressing.  It’s true that some days, they’ll be good eaters and others they won’t but hopefully, these tips will add some fun and interest back into his/her eating habits.

What other tips would you add?

Here are links of where to buy some of the items listed here!

Why You NEED To Take Your Kids Shopping at Target Popup, “Target Wonderland”

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Holiday shopping with a toddler in tow is not usually something I’d recommend.  But Target has revolutionized the experience with its Target Wonderland in the Meatpacking District of NYC.  The futuristic, Willy Wonka style product playground is worth exploring, take it from my 2.5-year-old, minifashionista who thought this Target popup was too much fun.  The playful, interactive and over-sized displays sparked wonderment and a sense of adventure in both of us. Pictured below is where we picked up Christmas tree shaped, chocolate-covered rice krispy treats (of which Juliet refused to share with me ‘cuz they were just that good).

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In addition to this ginormous light-up switch (which really did activate) we found an enormous Etch – A – Sketch which transposed your photographed image onto it, a life-sized boat made of Legos, and Elsa’s frozen palace (see below).  Everything was supersized for an extreme wow factor!

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Juliet loved choosing and getting her glittery snowflake tattoo within the confines of Elsa’s palace and was giddy with delight as she discovered each new area of the Target popup.

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There were fun surprises around every corner!, popup, nyc popup, target popup, holiday popup, popup,s christmas popup, holiday popup

What was great as a shopper was that you were able to literally test-drive a couple of the more expensive items on many kids’ wish lists this year (drones or these cool cars that use a smartphone app).

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My toddler’s all-time favorite spot however was the ball pit.  It was shallow enough to avoid scaring her and pretty enough to inspire some Instagram-able selfies.

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We went on a Tuesday afternoon and were the only ones in the pit at times which was a wonderful, surreal NY experience for us.  I found myself having peaceful ‘Calgon take me away’ moments as I sunk slowly into the depths of the pearly pit. Juliet and I had a ball!

Overall, Target Wonderland, offered enough interactivity and creative discovery for my toddler to tire herself out in exploratory fun.  And it showcased enough cool technology to make you feel you were shopping in the future (i.e. getting to Skype St. Nick, finding presents by waving your arms around to control a video game, digital shopping and photo emailing with RFID).

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Top tips if you go with kids:

  • Go during the weekday (through Dec. 22; Mon -Sat. 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., Sun., 10 a.m. – 6 p.m)
  • Find fast, cheap eats across the street at Chelsea Market (Target Wonderland is at 70 10th Avenue at 15th Street)
  • There’s stroller parking right outside the entrance and a diaper changing station at the entrance area but no bathrooms
  • Have the kids create a free custom engraved ornament as a keepsake (by the ball pit)
  • Bring your camera or have your cell charged up ‘cuz you won’t want to miss these photo opps

target wonderland

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