Food Fights Book Review and Giveaway

One of my biggest struggles with TJ is his eating habits.  I thought I would be the mom who got her child to eat sushi and hummus.  Vegetables were going to be a part of his vocabulary from day one.  It was going to be fantastic!  Well what a fantasy that was.  We have struggled with the eating thing since he moved to table food.  It seems like my perfect little boy was no longer perfect and it has been a tough road ever since.

I have needed all the help I can get when it comes to food.  I recently was sent a copy of the book Food Fights: Winning the Nutritional Challenges of Parenthood Armed With Insight, Humor and a Bottle of Ketchup (American Academy of Pediatrics, March 2012) by Laura A. Jana, MD, FAAP and Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP. This book is filled with great information and suggestions for picky eaters.  Here is a short excerpt from the book:

Whining and Dining

According to the dictionary, whining is defined as complaining

through the use of a high-pitched or distressed cry. By our definition,

whining is an incredibly annoying yet seemingly unavoidable part

of childhood that at the end of a long day can have the same effect as

fingernails on a chalkboard. As it relates to dining, children are quick

to learn that whining can be an extremely effective way to get what they

want to eat and/or drink everywhere from the crib to the kitchen table

to the grocery store. It’s not hard to see how a child’s persistent whining

about food can cause a parent’s nutritional decision-making abilities to

become temporarily impaired. After all, it is a whole lot easier to yield

to whining for food rather than something you just can’t give in to—

Whining Away

When you find yourself faced with a child who whines about food, the

best thing you can do is come to the table prepared.

• Expect the Expected. Simply being aware that whining about food

(and just about everything else) is inevitable will hopefully allow you

to prepare yourself and keep it from grating on your nerves quite as

much as it otherwise might.

Whining and Dining

• Keep Your Cool. Whining is an intuitive way for your child to get

what she wants. It’s also her way of luring you into battle. We highly

recommend that you refuse to take part. If it’s food she wants, then

resist the urge to give it to her when the whining intensifies and you

find you can’t take it anymore. If whining is met with reward—or

even if you hold out but it becomes clear that it drives you nuts—

you can expect the agony to be prolonged.

• Let Whining Fall on Deaf Ears. Once your child is old enough to

really get into the swing of whining—usually around 3 or so—start

reinforcing the fact that her whining is going to fall on deaf ears.

If she is sitting at the table whining about what she does or doesn’t

want to eat for dinner, tell her as calmly as you possibly can that you

can’t understand her when she talks like that and ask her if she has

something to tell or ask you. If she continues to whine, go about your

business. If, on the other hand, she makes an attempt to rephrase

her “request,” be sure to acknowledge her efforts. Remember that

stopping mid-whine is a tough task at any age, so don’t expect her

to drop the whine entirely. It’s not settling for less to respond to a

toned-down snivel.

Mealtime Milestones:

What’s in a Whine?

• 9 Months. Starting as early as 9 months, kids learn to point with a purpose

as they figure out the benefits of pointing out what they want, including

food.

• 12 Months. Children typically utter their first words, and “no” is often one

of the stand-alone favorites.

• 2 Years. By this age, you can expect your child to put 2 words together—

as in “no way” or “want that.”

• 2–3 Years. Kids begin to make better use of basic manners such as

“Please” and “Thank you.” This, in turn, allows for the development of the

characteristic “puhleeeeeeeze” so commonly employed in the context of

whining and dining.

3 Years. At this age, kids can typically string together 3 or more words in a

single sentence, and 75% of what they say is supposed to be understandable

to parents and other caregivers. This means that the “I want one!” or

“I don’t like it!” is likely to come through loud and clear for all to hear.

• 4 Years. Even innocent bystanders should be able to understand most of a

4-year-old’s speech, whining or not. A more sophisticated form of whining

may ensue, including the classics: “How come she gets to have one and

I don’t?” “You never give me anything good!” and “Please, just this once

can’t I….”

I am still reading my way through the book, but I have learned quite a bit about what things to try and not to try.  While I don’t expect TJ to miraculously start eating everything I put in front of him, I do appreciate the little hints that the book gives me.  I also appreciate the humor, because lets face it, we can all use a little more humor!

For more information about Food Fights, please visit www.HealthyChildren.org, the official American Academy of Pediatrics web site for parents.

Win It

One (1) lucky reader will win a copy of Food Fights!

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A huge thank you to rolemommy who provided the products featured in this post.  While I was compensated for this post, all opinions are mine