Trying new things

Trying to get Aidan, 6, to try new foods is excrutiating. A long-time fan of six snack-like foods (cheese crackers, "Pirate's Booty," corn puffs, waffles with peanut butter, Goldfish crackers and pretzels), we had the sneaking suspicion that he might not have the best diet. On occasion, he'd eat a fruit bar, grilled cheese sandwich, some chicken nuggets and maybe a French fry or two, but that was really pushing it.

It was starting to become an issue, especially when we took him out places (even to kids parties) and had to bring bags of snacks with us as he wouldn't - or couldn't - eat other things.

We assumed it was behaviorial, that he just didn't want to, but then began to hear about kids with texture issues. We also noticed how he would gag on certain benign foods like apple sauce and would get very panicky if certain foods even touched his tongue. This was all very strange because, as a baby, he ate most things we gave him.

My wife wanted to figure out what was going on and we took him to a few specialists who all came to a similar conclusion, "He'll grow out of it."

So beginning this week we are introduing one new food for him to try. Today was yogurt and it wasn't an easy sell. There couldn't be even the tiniest fruit piece included; it had to be strawberry only; he still had to have his other snacks interspersed within spoonfuls of yogurt. During the entire experience, he looked like he was going to gag and desperately wanted to be done.

But he didn't cry, he didn't yell, he didn't say no. He tried and he made it through 3/4 of one container of yogurt. This is a success.

We have no idea what'll happen tomorrow, but good for him for trying and good for my wife for making us do this. As for me, I would probably have just stuck with the six snacks. Bad daddy!