Feeding Spiff has always been a challenge.
From the moment he entered the world, he had difficulty latching (oh, the tearful cries to the La Leche League still ring in my ears!), and then difficulty with bottle feeding and formulas. (We settled on Nutramagen) Then it was textures; Too grainy, too mushy, too sticky, too gloppy. And woe betide anyone who mixed anything into what he was drinking or eating! He could detect any foreign substance in anything we game him, so hiding his medicine in his food or drink was not an option. We finally narrowed down his “will eats” to the following items:
Chicken Nuggets
Spaghetti (penne pasta)
Spaghettio-s
Pizza
Mac & Cheese
Grilled chicken (with a ramekin of BBQ sauce)
And, lo it was good. For awhile. But it seemed that as he got older his menu choices didn’t change like
his friends’ did. And he’s almost at the point where passing as a 12 and Under is becoming quite a challenge. So we hatched a plan. A devious plan. A plan that, if it worked, would open doors for him, and make him expand his culinary horizons, as it were.
We invented the “Tasting Plate”.
The tasting plate is a small salad plate that we put things that are at the table that we have prepared for the rest of us. Small portions only, like maybe just a bite. But the bottom line is he has to try everything on the plate. EVERYTHING.
We’re ogres, I know. Just call us Shrek and Fiona.
The interesting by-product of this experiment is that Spiff has become more amenable to trying foods at restaurants. I never thought we would be able to set foot in a PF Chang’s as a family. We have since been able to do that and so much more. And while he does more often than not order his meals from the kid’s menus in restaurants, just the mere fact that he is out and ordering and eating gives me hope for the not-too-distant future when he might ask a girl out on a date or to a movie.
Hopefully by then he will be ordering off the Adult menu. Or his date will appreciate his frugalness. Either way, there is hope for the future.
Sometimes, that is all you can ask for.
Shash is vacationing with her family and trying to stay sane! Click over to Diary of a Crazed Mommy to read more about her life and her amazing family.