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The Picky Eater

Who among us hasn’t encountered a picky eater at some time in our lives? A long-time friend of mine tried this trick when each of her children began eating table food. She would put food that children may turn their noses up at, only on hers and her husband’s plate. You know the foods. Broccoli, cauliflower, okra, beets, peas. When a child would ask what that was, they would whisper very softly to them that it was an adult food and only grown-ups could have it. That always intrigued the child, yet made them feel somehow left out. They would ask to try it. Janet would say no. Finally, after a time or two of this back-and-forth, she would tell them in a whisper that she would give them a bite but they had to promise not to tell a soul, since after all, it was grown-up food. The children bought into the story and LOVED sneaking adult food onto their plates. They felt part of the secret. Before she knew it, they had acquired a taste for it and from then on, strange food was never a problem. We laughed as she would relate the conspiracy as she went through it with her 3 children. Some of us even tried it on our own and found that it actually worked. Reverse psychology worked wonders.