What better month to talk about “new” than in January? It’s not just a month to think about fresh starts, but also a month to consider how you bring “new” into your child’s life.
Research shows that:
* Kids who are the most afraid of trying new foods are also reluctant to try new experiences. Improve how your child handles “new” in general and you will improve how she handles “new” foods too.
* Fear of “new” foods isn’t related to how much your kid actually likes something. It’s related to how much he expects to like something. Expectations rule the day. That’s why exposing kids to lots of new experiences translates into a willingness to try new foods: it teaches them that new can be fun, exciting, and, yes, even tasty.
The best parenting advice reports that kids crave routine because they thrive on knowing what to expect. But that doesn’t mean things have to always stay the same. The routine kids need revolves around the shape of their day: the timing of meals, the behavior that’s expected of them and bedtime habits new experiences fit nicely within this structure.
Put lots of *new* into your child’s life so handling it becomes a habit and your struggle to introduce new foods will be half over.