Claire Tries Something New

There is a difference between Jared and I when it comes to trying new things to eat. I will try them and he won't. He can be pretty picky. He doesn't like many fruits and not many vegetables either. He is a texture person so a lot of things taste good but he doesn't like how they feel. For instance he doesn't mind tomatoes in salsa or spaghetti sauce if it is not chunky. So I will pour the salsa or sauce into a food processor and grind it up to where there are no more chunks. By the way, I don't mind doing this. I love him and it helps me get to eat more of the things I like. :) No feeling sorry for me and no giving him a hard time.

Anyway, all of this to say Claire is his non trying something new, if it looks gross or if it's green I am not eating it clone. I have always made sure to not let Jared get away with not eating something because he needs to set a good example. And yet Claire will not try anything new! Is this a genetic thing?!?! She likes pasta (with no tomato chunks in the sauce. Hmmmm), beans, crispy chicken, and cheese. I am not a short order cook at our house so you eat what I make or you don't eat.

A friend of mine was having trouble with her child eating as so she made a sticker chart and he liked that idea and would eat new things. I decided to try it. I even made it to where if she tried 5 new things she can get a prize. In order to get a sticker she has to try something new and she has to chew and swallow it, no spitting it out. The first day she was excited! I was so pumped that this just might work!! It did end up taking her 2 weeks to get to her first prize goal. She picked out a barbie doll and even picked out the one she wants next time she gets a prize. She only needs 3 more stickers to get to her second prize. She has tried a banana, strawberry, steak, corn, rice, sunflower seed, and a pumpkin seed. She says she has liked them all but the strawberry. She still refuses some things and we will see if she will continue to eat the things she tried. I don't know how long we will do this or if it is really even working but for now she has tried more things in 3 1/2 weeks than she has in the last year or so.

Quinn wanted a chart too so I made her one. She has to try 10 things before she gets a prize because she is like her mama and will try anything. It is not hard for her to get stickers at all.

I hope this helps Claire to not be afraid to try new things and if nothing else at least she gets new toys out of the deal. ;)