Do you happen to be a parent of a toddler who absolutely knows better of what he needs and what he doesn’t need? It is not enough that I have to battle my 7 and my 9-year-old over their daily habits, but how come not even a 2-year-old gives me his demands? I swear, sometimes I feel like a hostage in my own house.
Because this little guy has already made it clear that he want very little to do with the traditional baby food and that he would rather have anything and everything with high fructose corn syrup (pizza, lollipops, colorful cereal, etc), I need a new plan that would make sure that the little know-it-all gets the right nutrition without me chasing him around the house screaming.
Meet the Gerber® Lil’ Beanies™ – it looks like a snack your older kids would like to have and that means your opinionated toddler will approve too!
It might look like a traditional snack for your older kids, his new baked snack is made with the goodness of navy beans – how cool is that? I found it at Walmart while browsing the baby aisle – my older kids have been a great help suggesting baby snacks they would want to try themselves.
Tricks and Tips to Feeding a Toddler
I have realized that my toddler judges the food by its packaging. By the time I open a pouch, container or a bag, he already makes up his mind if he wants it or not (tried it before, don’t like the food on the label, has a baby picture on it etc). Time to get creative and add an appeal to a toddler food menu:
Curb Appeal
Ditch the baby packaging and put toddler snacks in the neutral containers. Your child might not be able to read, but he can see – don’t let him reject food before he tries it.
Set it and Forget it
Put the bowl with toddler snacks on the middle of the dinner table – the food is that more appealing if it’s out of his immediate reach. Make sure he can see it and he will most likely get creative and will get to it. He might even ask you to give him some – make it look like it is all his idea.
His Choice
Let him pick between the two, but make sure both products are approved by you.
Get Kids Involved
Put a snack next to your older kids. You know, your toddler will be all over it, but you will have to share a few pieces with your other kids.
Get creative with your toddler food – head over to their local Walmart and check the Lil’ Beanies for yourself – don’t forget to print this coupon (while supplies last).
Definitely agree with the Curb Appeal suggestion.