Tackling the Terrible/Terrific Twos

Terri:
We have fraternal twins and interestingly our daughter is very willing to try a new food while our son is the exact opposite. We usually just present a new food to her making a big deal how yummy it is and she will try it. She is very interested in whatever we are eating (we usually eat after them) and she will often try new things off our plates. Our son, will immediately say “no” to anything you present to him – sometimes later (on his own terms) he will give something a try. Both of their favorite food is link sausage. It never fails – if we cannot get them to eat anything else – they will eat “sasag” as they call it. Not the healthiest food, but as many with two year olds know – sometimes you are just happy that they are eating, period. They also both love all kinds of fresh fruit including bananas, apples, grapes, strawberries, oranges, and pears. Unfortunately, neither one likes milk or yogurt, so we give them calcium supplements. Like most two year olds – ours are always on the go and are not interested in sitting very long to eat. We usually have fruit and other snacks or food left from mealtime on their little table so they can eat as they want through the day.

Amy:
Jake’s favorite food is chicken and rarely wants to eat anything else. I find he is even pickier than his brother was at this age. We have ourselves to blame for this one, as I am not a good cook and really don’t enjoy it so we tend to go with really standard repetitive meals. When we try something new then that is just what is for dinner. My 2-year-old is stronger than me and has gone to bed without dinner on more than one occasion when he refuses to eat what is for dinner. Breakfast the next day is always a big hit then! As far as things he cannot stand to eat, there are plenty. If it is not related to spaghetti, some kind of plain chicken, grilled cheese or peanut butter he will insist that he does not like it (or in his words, “I no yike it”). He will drink milk, eat yogurt, apples, carrots and a few select “healthy” things so I am comfortable he is getting the nutrients he needs just not a wide variety of it.

Jennifer:
Our rule with Gianna is she must try every food at least once. If she doesn’t like it, then she can choose not to eat more. She is also learning that what we’re eating for that meal is what we’re eating. There are no substitutes. It’s definitely challenging sometimes, but as long as we’re consistent, she’s learning our expectations.

Her favorite food is chicken. She loves it cooked in many different ways. A food she really dislikes is avocados.