Charlie started watching Team Umizoomi (a cartoon that teaches patterns and math) sometime last year, and really got into the concept of patterns.
One day when he was eating, he asked if he could do a pattern with olives (his favorite food in the whole world); he would take one bite of food and then one bite of olive. We’ve been doing this for almost every dinnertime since (we also mix it up with pickles – his second favorite food), and it has dramatically increased how much he will eat.
Previously, getting him to eat 5 bites total was a struggle – and even that took forever. It didn’t even matter how hungry he was. But using patterns, we can count on him to eat at least half his dinner most of the time. Out of all the things we’ve tried… dessert, threats, bribes, lighting candles, eliminating snacks… this has been the most successful.
steamed egg, asparagus, olives, and seaweed leftover from seaweed soup
I think patterns work for a couple of reasons:
- It keeps him motivated because he knows his next bite will be a pickle or olive
- It cleanses his palate so if there’s something he doesn’t love to eat, his next bite will be something he loves and he’s looking forward to that
- It encourages him to try new foods he might not otherwise because he can do a pattern
- He just loves patterns and is always talking about them
Unfortunately this doesn’t work with Olive the honey badger because she does what she wants to do, but since she gets most of the daily calories during school, I haven’t worried as much when she eats small dinners.
Mealtime has always been such a struggle in our home because neither kid is a big eater. So if something like using patterns works, I’m ok with it!
Do you use any unconventional tactics to get your kids to eat?
honeydew / 7488 posts
My DD doesn’t like salad but she will eat lettuce with a small piece of fruit. By the time she finishes the fruit, she’s eaten a whole salad…
coconut / 8079 posts
I love this idea!
pomegranate / 3225 posts
Olive the honey badger! Love it!
blogger / nectarine / 2043 posts
How awesome! Baby C is still fascinated by the fork and spoon so if she stops eating we give her those and it helps get the rest of her food in.
apricot / 288 posts
Has Charlie ever expanded the pattern past 1,1,1,1? Has he ever done two bites of another food followed by one olive?
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
@reyorra: yes sometimes i ask him to take 2-3 bites of food first. and if it’s something like soup/porridge, i usually don’t give him any olives.
kiwi / 511 posts
We use a timer….we have a dilly dallier on our hands. It isn’t that he doesn’t like his food he does 97% of the time but he chats and the stares into space or will sing and generally get distracted. We are not opposed to talking as a family at the dinner table we think it is good to share our days, but we are trying to teach him that while someone else is sharing that he should be eating.
If he does too much dilly dallying we will bring out the timer and set it for a reasonable amount of time. We always tell him that if he isn’t hungry he doesn’t have to finish but if he doesn’t finish then he doesn’t get anything after dinner. We also make exceptions for new foods, there has to be a solid effort in trying it first usually 2-3 bites before he can say he doesn’t like something, and if he doesn’t like it that is life I don’t like everything either. I won’t make a whole new meal he gets the choice of soynut butter and jelly or cereal. I think I have only had to break out the soynut butter once.
blogger / pomegranate / 3491 posts
So cute – whatever works!!
blogger / apricot / 367 posts
Glad this is working for Charlie! My girls love Umizoomi too
pea / 18 posts
This is such a good idea. My picky eater loves Umizoomi too so I’m going to have to try this!
cherry / 204 posts
We love Umizoomi and we do this too! It’s a great way to get my kids to finish their vegetables.