A dear friend came by for eggs and asked, “What do you do about picky eating?”

Picky eating is a tricky topic.

It can be from texture issues, jaw strength, tastes preferences….

I listened to Wellnesss Mama podcast and learned a new reason that made me stop and think: Stress!

Children today are stressed out and picky eating is on the rise.

Table Stressful Table Discussions

We live on a farm in the country and we don’t watch TV or news. We purpose to eat together as a family.

But all’s not perfect: I still stress out my children.

When Aaron comes home for dinner, we talk about stressful topics.

He unloads his work stress, I talk about farm issues, and boy do I feel for my children.

But there’s hope!

Words to Use at the Dinner Table

So, I took Aaron aside while the children played and shared that we really got to stop this stressful talk in front of the children.

Here’s the plan:

1. Gratitude – Say a prayer with meaning before the meal. Actually, stop and share what you’re grateful for, prayer for the farmer, ask the children, too. It can be hard to get children to think about gratitude–but don’t give up. Eventually it will come with gentle practice.
2. Choose a round of question for everyone to answer:
   • What made you laugh today?
   • What did you learn?
   • Who/what did you love today?

Give it a try and share your tips, too!

Look for the Part 2 about rephrasing picky eating to “learning to eat.”