#22 - Do you force them to try it? Or do you just let your child eat what they want?

Hello hello, welcome back to the Food Explorers Podcast, episode 22: Do you force them to try it? Or do you just let your child eat what they want?

This is probably one of the biggest unknown for parents. And that question that you keep coming back to in your head. And one that most people have different answers to.

AM i doing the right thing? Should I be putting more pressure on them to take a bite? Should I just stop and let them eat, and be happy with what they are eating?

Well my friend, I am here to put an end to that question for you today.

So those of you who have been in the DrSam community for a while, know that I am not a fan of using pressure at the table. So I will come right out the door in this podcast and say that.

I personally, do not enjoy using pressure or force to encourage children to eat. I could talk in depth about that, but I do already have a podcast on that topic - episode #02, so I recommend going back to that episode because I also talk about the research behind it, and why I personally like to take this approach.

Most often, it leads to mealtime battles at the table, and the table no longer becomes a safe place where your child WANTS to come hang out with you.

But I should also say here - every single child and every single family is different. So if this works for your family, and your child easily eats with this - then by all means do what works best for your family. But my guess is, that if it truly worked, you probably wouldn’t be here with me today. Likely, you’re looking for another option.

What I haven’t talked about with you is - should I just let them eat what makes them happy? Do I just totally remove that pressure, stop trying new foods, and just let them be?

Well, to be honest, I don’t love that either. 

Here’s why:

If your child NEVER is introduced to new foods. If it’s not on their plate, if they don’t see it, if they don’t have the opportunities to explore it - how are they ever going to learn to eat it?

It takes the brain about 20 tastes to actually and truly know if we like a food. (To be quite honest the research is kind of all over the place with exactly how many times, so the field has accepted about 20 as the norm). Now, if that food is never on the plate, or never introduced - they’ll never even get the opportunity to try it 20 times.

Additionally, something I’ve found that’s really interesting is that many children with feeding difficulties can’t identify or even recognize many foods- because they’ve never experienced them themselves before.

So if we’re just waiting and waiting for them to miraculously say they want to try this new food - we may be waiting a very long time.

As humans, we biologically are programmed to avoid this that are unpleasant or challenging.

So most often, kids will just happily going on eating the 4-5 foods that feel good for their body. Until their brain gets bored of eating the same food day in a day out and they drop it. This then leaves us without another food to replace it - yikes. You may have seen this happen in the past.

So if we’re not forcing them, and we’re not removing it entirely what do we do?

Well, there’s a middle - and it’s called exploring.

It’s helping kids learn about food in a non-pressure, and fun way.

We introduce foods repeatedly - way more than the normal 3-5x that a parent typical introduces a food before giving up on it, and help kids learn about them both at and away from the table so they can become more confident and comfortable with it.
 

We start with looking at, interacting with, and touching the food, and make our way up to kissing it, licking it, and biting it - all in fun, innovative ways.

We adopt a food exploration lifestyle and help your child create their own love of food and food exploration.

And this works. It’s exactly what I teach in the Food Explorers membership.

In fact, I have a story for you: I recently had a new parent join the membership. And on DAY 1 she went back and immediately starting applying some new techniques. She focused on fun, interaction, and learning about the new food. And her child responded to her excitement and non-pressure method with licking the new food, AND putting it in the mouth and spitting it out! The next day, he ate an entirely different food! (BTW for spitting food out is an excellent developmental step, and something we teach often for safety).

Did he chew and swallow all the new foods presented? No. But that’s ok. He had his first, really positive interactions with a new food and made the decisions himself to taste it and lick it, and even eat the ones he felt comfortable with.

From here, we continue to introduce it in new ways, or even the same ways, and continue to build this positive association with it. 

We’re playing the long game here. And the end goal is a positive and happy relationship with food over all.

If this sounds like what you’re looking for, I invite you to join us in the Food Explorers Membership today! Go to www.drsamgoldman.com/food-explorers-membership and join the fun.

I can’t wait to meet you!

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