Just Eat It

So. Not unlike other children, Rhett really likes peanut butter (and honey--thanks Grandpa No Google!). A lot. In fact, he likes it as much as Chuck likes pizza, which is enough to eat it everyday if given the option. Thankfully, however, Chuck doesn't start crying when I tell him he can't have pizza for lunch. Score. But Rhett, oh man, he will throw a fit when told he can't have peanut butter and honey for lunch.

Twice a week, on the days when he goes to the babysitter's house, I send him with peanut butter and honey. I'm totally taking the easy way out by doing it, but I don't want her to have to fight with him the way I do. So I fold. He does get carrot sticks though; that makes me feel a little bit better. But it's really important to me that he learns to like and eat many different things on the other five days. And when I say "different" it's not like I'm putting sashimi in front of him. I'm asking him to eat BBQ chicken pizza or tuna or enchiladas. I don't think I'm being too unreasonable here, am I?

Recently I asked a parenting "expert" about how to help my toddler become a better eater. This was her response:

I'm kind of tough on picky eaters because they often just get pickier and pickier. Part of this is due to the texture of a food--liver is anathema to most children--but you have a family kitchen, not a food court.

This sounds cruel, but if you try it, I promise that your child won't starve: Put away any food your child eats, cancel your visits and your visitors, and only offer three meals a day and two snacks of foods your child has always refused. Do it sweetly, say that's okay honey, I'm sorry you're not hungry, and take him out of his high chair in 20 minutes. No cookies, no pbh. By the third night, I promise you he'll eat whatever you put in front of him and he'll be amazed how much he likes it. The trick is being nice--and not negotiating, not making a big deal of it.

After last night's showdown where we tried to get Rhett to eat some enchiladas, I'm done. I think I could do what she suggested if I think it's the right thing. And the more and more picky he becomes, the closer I get to thinking it's the right thing. But what do you think of this method? Too cruel? Any other tips on how to make Rhett a better eater?

While we're at it, any tips at making Chuck a better eater? Kidding! (Kind of.)

More Parenting Advice Needed

As parents we constantly hear information about what foods we should and should not feed our kids.  There are the noes: honey, nuts, eggs, gluten, fish, etc.  And then there are the yesses: pretty much everything not on the no list.  It's a lot of information to ingest.

Now that Rhett is over a year old, I feel that we have much more latitude in his food.  But the nut thing kills me.  I want to feed him banana NUT bread, banana NUT waffles, carrot cake with NUTS on top, peaNUT butter, baked oatmeal with walNUTS, etc.  (Why?  Mostly because I want to share these things with my son and it kills me to make them without the nuts.)  My pediatrician has told me to wait until he's five to give him nuts.  That's right: five.

But the aversion to feeding our kids nuts at a young age, as well as the large number of kids with allergies to nuts has me thinking.  Are we causing this increase in food allergies by withholding the foods from the kids?  If Chuck and I have no family history of food allergies (which is true), would it be safe to give the baby nuts now, because by waiting to expose him, we've made him a sissy to nuts, in a weird way?

Part of me really wants to just do it.  We already know he's not crazy allergic to the point where just being a room with nut products makes him break out in hives.  But part of me has the mommy guilt that I shall not expose my child to things that might hurt him.

So how long did you wait to give your children nuts (or any other taboo item)?  Do you believe that withholding foods can cause the allergies?  (Note: This is definitely an unscientifically-supported hypothesis developed by yours truly.)  Do you take much of the food advice to heart and keep schedules and time lines as given to you by your pediatrician?

Desperately Seeking Advice

Now that Rhett has crossed the threshhold into the forward-facing car seats, I find myself stymied. The main reason for this is that we have three cars in which Rhett regularly rides: mine, Chuck's, and the babysitter's. Do we need to buy three car seats: one for each of the cars? Or two seats: one for me and one for Chuck/Mary? Or even just one, and we all share it? For those of you with these next-step seats, how easy are they to switch between cars? Do they have bases they just click into? Or do they require a fireman to adjust them every time? Any advice on how we should handle this?? Please???