How do (toddler) wonders never cease? After a few months of politely (and sometimes not politely) declining to eat a banana, this week Eliana started to voluntarily eat bananas again. While she never stopped eating them when they were mashed up and hidden in foods like banana bread or oatmeal she had been flat out refusing them on their own. This was super frustrating because for nearly her first year of eating solid foods, she devoured bananas whenever they were offered to her.
A photo from February 2012:
Nom-nom-nom…
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, when a your little foodie refuses a food, it’s best to continue to offer it to him or her without forcing the issue. In this spirit, we’ve continued offering bananas, but just eating them ourselves when she refused them (and even sharing them with our cat—yes, that’s right, our cat LOVES to lick the inside of banana peels). But then earlier then this week, out of the blue, whatdya know? Eliana decided that those banana things (a.k.a. “bapas”) really aren’t so bad after all. She even began polishing off entire bananas all by herself again.
Photos from this morning:
Bapas are yummy!
I so love messing with those parents of mine!
This development leads me to another lesson in creating a teeny tiny foodie: In the midst of any toddler-power-struggle-refusal-to-eat-foods-she-previously-liked, you need to continue to keep calm, carry on and continue to offer your little foodie a variety of foods. Because for my little lady, it is indeed a power struggle and a declaration of her independence to go on these little food strikes. Eventually, she will give up and move on to a new way to exert her toddler power, such as this week’s return of the diaper change refusals. Yeah, right. Like she’s ever gonna win that battle!
I’m trying to see the glass as half full. I’m thinking since bananas made a successful return to her diet, maybe there is hope for potatoes, too?
Tags: bananas
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