Year 3

Minecrafting our house

Gamer Jaan

No-Uniform day and charity wear some funky specs at school

Check the ones Jaan's loved ones did for him:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152186515956265&type=1&l=7177bc295c

He's a Picky Eater, and Over 5.

So I'm looking up stuff, reading Elizabeth Pantley like nobodys business, the standard advice is like so:

Getting Kids to Try New Foods

Every parent knows that some times kids won't eat new foods, but that doesn't mean that they will never eat that food. Kids change their minds often so if you offer that same food again they may decide they like it, gobble it up and ask for seconds.

It is good to encourage a child to try new foods. That's how they develop their taste preferences. Parents shouldn't force children to eat all of a new food, or to clean their plate. A small taste this time may lead to a bigger taste next time.

Here are some tips to get children to try new foods:

• Have a positive attitude. Serve new foods to your child and expect that they will eventually learn to like them.

So, Item 1: I'm more positive than many of his other carers/feeders. However, I am loco el coco sometimes and have yelled more than once, or been snarky and not helpful with the comments muttered sotto voice. I'm human. It's been FIVE YEARS people. I was positive unfailingly for FOUR years.

• Don't force your child to eat. Children sometimes do not like to eat food they have never seen before. Keep serving the food to your child. As they become more familiar with it, they may decide to taste it.

I've never forced. I've tried bribery, tried telling me how I was force fed and how I don't want to disrespect him like that. I've been there for him when he has tried, tried, tried so hard to eat something knew but 'couldn't' at the last moment or gagged.

• Let your child help prepare the food. This can be something simple like tearing lettuce for a salad or stirring pancake batter. This will help your child become familiar with the new food. As you prepare it together, you and they can talk about the color, shape, and texture of the food.

This worked well with bread making, Iain and Jaan made and ate bread. What happened to that?

• Serve new foods when your child is hungry. Let the new food be the first thing your child eats. He might not want to try something new if he has already filled up on his favorites.

OMG. That sounds v cruel.
Is this sound advice?
I know from experience, like when we have not had what he wants and have offered alternatives, he's just chosen to go hungry or beg us to go out and get the right thing. We don't always go out to get the item he wants, specially not if it is late. He sometimes agrees to just have milk and sleep, wait for the next day when I will get the item requested, or even wait till it is back in stock on Ocado, or till it is time for the shopping to come which could be days away. He is even able to wait till he's finished one fave cereal or ice cream or yoghurt or juice stash before I'll get the next one.

• Serve one new food at a time. Don't overwhelm your child by serving a plate full of new foods. Instead, try offering one new food on the plate with familiar foods.

I do this. Always done it. Never made a bit of difference. Won't put it in his mouth.

• Respect your child's food preferences. There may be some foods that your child doesn't like no matter what you try. That's okay. Just be sure to offer your child other foods from the same food group at other meals and snacks.

I do. He's a vegetarian. He does not want cooked, mixed up mush - like casseroles or pies. Fine. But he's SO RIGID, so inflexible and won't believe me and trust me enough to chew and swallow a mouthful or two. So he's not really got an opinion has he?

• Be a good role model. Eat a new food in front of your child and let them see how much you are enjoying it.

I do. I even show him food I think looks nice "I'm not asking you to eat it, just look, I love this". Sometimes he looks. Sometimes he comes downstairs and says the cooking smells good but he doesn't want to eat it. Ok I say, thank you, I think it smells nice too and Daddy and I are going to enjoy it. If you want some too, you are always welcome.


WTF do I do?

OK, perhaps more clues here:

Dear Santa .... 2013

Jaan's requests this year are,

Pirate Pig Attack, an angry birds playset, retailing about about £30.

The Moshi Monsters Moshling Mall, retailing at around £45.

Obi Wan angry bird plush toy in 8" size, retailing at around £12.

Princess Leia bird plush toy, again, 8" size.

Modelling clay of the plasticine sort (not playdough sort, as that stuff grows mould after a while and cracks and dries too, whereas plasticine type clay that is not labelled 'soft' stays ok)

Phonics activity toys, such as:

Star Wars Phonics.

Anything Alphablocks (this is a show on phonics from CBeebies) - books retail at £3.50 to about £10.

We are getting him the Leapfrog LeapReader, books and accessories for that would be most welcome. Books from the Leapfrog Tag system also work with this LeapReader thing, so those might also be an option. The dubiously titled 'learn to write with mr pencil' is a good bet.
There is also a Monsters University one, a Spongebob one, an Umizoomi one, an interactive world map, interactive solar system - all on amazon and all would be popular choices. Sesame Street monster faces, and Star Wars Clone Wars are also options that will probably work, everything else could go badly wrong - 5 years old are so tempermental. Steer clear of past faves like Thomas the Tank Engine, Nemo, Toy Story etc as he is still coming to terms with his younger self.

Anything SkyLanders is a winner just now.

Pencils, notebooks, paper etc, books with plain paper and perforated edges are very welcome, he likes to write and draw all day and a book is easier to manage than paper (does not slip about). Felt pens are his top tools.

Kids Games as Apps

http://www.littlebitstudio.com/bugsandbuttons.html
Zoodles
Peppa Pig