I have a confession to make. Lately I am having a REALLY hard time getting my daughter to eat her veggies. There. I said it. I can exhale now. How did we get from her being a baby who gorged on veggies (I couldn’t stop her), to a six year old who throws a tantrum every night about eating said vegetables???
This new found phase she is exhibiting has been making me feel like a phony; If I am having such a hard time convincing my daughter to eat her greens, who am I to be telling you how to make your children eat their greens?
Bottom line, I have a stubborn daughter (It takes one to know one). I often hear a story from my dad about how he had a battle of wills over veggies with one of his daughters (wonder who that was?). Apparently I was told that I couldn’t leave the table until I finished my veggies and I didn’t cave in and eat them until almost 2am (trust me, I take the word “stubborn” to new highs). Fortunately I also have an older son, so I know from experience that she is going through a phase. We will get through this and she will come out the other side a vegetable lover just as my son did and just as I did.
In the meantime we have a new rule in our household when it comes to little miss veggie hater; she must eat her serving of vegetables before she is served the rest of her dinner. It may seem harsh, but I am tired of ending our meals with veggie tantrums…better to have them at the beginning of the meal and leave the table happy. We are on day three of this new system and while there has definitely been resistance (that’s a polite way of saying kicking and screaming), the fight is a little less every day.
Unlucky for her the Gods gave her a mama that just so happens to be even more stubborn than her.
We will get through this. Eating veggies is just that important.
UPDATE – The tantrums are over! She has been eating her veggies and even likes to eat romaine salad right now. I am not saying the war is won or that she is thrilled to be eating her greens, but the trick of eating her veggies before the rest of the meal seems to be working!!!
Good for you! I am happy to hear that the struggle seemed to end on a positive note. Now your daughter will know for sure that yes, veggies are THAT important!
Thanks Lisa! Parenting can try your patience, but I just love being a mama 🙂
Sometimes I have a problem with my daughter not wanting to try new things. I tell her she has to try it before she can have the rest of her dinner. If it is something new that I make, and it doesn’t look familiar, she will refuse it….and dinner turns into this long event :/. She is getting better, but I just wish that dinner didn’t have to take so long.
I, too, think that it is a phase, and that she will grow out of it and will become a veggie lover as well.
LOL I love the picture you posted. 🙂
It’s always nice to know that other people are fighting the same battles we are. The picture cracks me up too. I asked her to think of veggies and THAT is the face she made!
Can you explain why my son can love guacamole and hate avocados? Same difference, right? 🙂 Lili has met her challenge!
Really appreciated this article – my four year old’s favorite food was broccoli and now she claims to hate it! My wife and daughter are not vegan – which probably makes it more difficult as she gets mixed messages. Still we have always been consistent about the importance of eating her veggies.
I was a veggie hater as a kid and most of my adult life, so I guess there is hope for her yet.
Persistance is clearly key 🙂 yay for you!
Jessica P xo
My Latest Blog Post: “You’re Vegan? But what do you EAT??!”
congrats! We just kept serving them to the kids and they have to at least try everything we feed them before saying the don’t like it. Luckily Finn is much better about veggies than when he was younger 🙂 No we wait for Seamus’ phase to kick in – ha!
Thank you so much for confessing–exactly what I needed to hear! My six-year-old son, who also grew up devouring veggies and fruit in abundance and had a super diverse palate, is now having exactly the same reactions your daughter has been having! It’s just so good to know that I’m not alone and that someone else out there is emphasizing the importance of veggies. I hope your updated trend continues. Thanks so much again for sharing!