Chrissy Teigen Created A Real Menu For Her Picky 2-Year-Old And It’s Hilarious
Parents will be well acquainted with this particular conundrum: how to make sure a picky toddler gets the nourishment and nutrition that they need. It can be an almost impossible task at times, with a particular food being an all-time favorite one day, but end up hurled onto the floor in disgust the next.
What to do? All kinds of sneaky tricks have been tried, from hiding peas in the mashed potatoes to flying the food directly into the mouth via Spoon Airlines. American model and author Chrissy Teigen came up with her own plan, and it got many parents nodding in approval.
Perhaps the root cause of many toddlers’ pickiness comes from a desire to be involved, to feel grown up and to be a part of the decision-making process. So Teigen decided that’s exactly what she would try with her daughter Luna, making a restaurant-style ‘menu’ for her to choose from, prices and all!
Image credits: chrissyteigen
Image credits: chrissyteigen
Image credits: chrissyteigen
Image credits: chrissyteigen
Image credits: chrissyteigen
Image credits: chrissyteigen
Image credits: chrissyteigen
Image credits: chrissyteigen
Image credits: chrissyteigen
Here’s a short video of what lucky Luna gets to choose from
I made a restaurant for my 2 and a half year old pic.twitter.com/bqQ40bFQ4F
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 18, 2018
Somebody noticed the prices and asked what was up with that. Teigen, hoping that Luna might learn an important lesson about the value of money and food, explained that it wasn’t real cash she was charging!
Image credits: AJDelgado13
Teigen has become well-known for her culinary skills, having released a couple of best-selling cookbooks
Image credits: chrissyteigen
Image credits: chrissyteigen
Here’s what people had to say about her useful parenting tip
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I always gave two options to mine: Eat....... or starve. Your choice.
My thoughts exactly. Just be glad there's food on the table. I wonder how many "picky toddlers" there are in poorer families and countries. Pity we'll be downvoted to hell soon.
You have my up vote
Sorry to disappoint, I agree with you both and have also up-voted you both. I was a member of the "eat or don't" generation. My parents survived the Depression, in Kansas no less, they did NOT play!
Sadly there is truth to your thoughts, this is why I don't comment on here much anymore, but I did up vote both of you guys :)
I agree. Plus the average parent hasn't the time or resources for this.
Well, eat or starve is too harsh an option. Food should be fun, but not overstated at the same time. Studies indicate that forceful eating leads to eating disorders in adults. However, just being ultra-lenient will not do the trick, either. My approach is to practice what I preach. To my experience, that actually works. Eating healthy meals _together_. The 12-month old wants to try the heavily peppered grilled vegetables? Remove anything that she could choke on and let her try a small bit. Just be relaxed...
I think that's not a very healthy way to deal with food issues. Children are learning likes and dislikes and how to manage their food intake. If you force food on them they don't like them they learn they don't get to control what goes in their own bodies. As an adult if I don't like something someone has made for dinner I don't eat it. I get an alternative. Children don't have they choice unless you supply them with alternatives because they are children and don't know how to cook yet.
I’m not sure what you mean by as an adult if someone cooks something you don’t like, you get an alternative???? If you go to a dinner party and don’t care for the food, do you request an alternative option? Or if you go to a family member’s house and don’t like the food, do you complain and get yourself something else? Or, do you simply mean that at your own house you cook to order for everyone’s tastes?
Ahh yes, the ol' "holier than thou" parent comments. You're right, r3dd3vIL, you probably will get voted down. Because people don't like unwarranted negativity when someone is just trying to be lighthearted an humorous. In other words: get over yourself.
In adulthood they’ll be able to choose to see you...or not. You’re making your own bed.
That's what my mother did and I would do the same thing. I remember my grandmothers' stories about the WWII and there was nothing about being picky. One old acquaintance said she was always thin, because she didn't like fresh bread and there was no chance any bread would have lasted long enough to become dry. And no one cared. She lived a long thin life :)
I was given the same, but we always try to make life better for our kids than we had it. She's definitely not confined by her income on what options she can provide for her kids so no harm done
I remember watching a program with T Barry Brazelton where he talks about how to get control of children at mealtime. He said to avoid meltdowns, instead of just asking your kid "What do you want for breakfast?" say "We have toast and yogurt, cereal with fruit and milk, or toaster waffles for breakfast. Which one of those would you like?" He explained that you allow the child to have control over his/her choices while keeping the decisions in the realm of what mom or dad can accomplish. I applaud Chrissy for her technique...because I also think that it adds a certain elegance to meals making it more likely to see an empty or nearly empty plate.
Honestly, I use the "What do you want for breakfast" a little too much.. But I liked this idea! And it's not too much work to implement either :) Do you remember the name of the program?
Totally agree! I was looking after my niece one time and in the morning she showed me their cereal chart and said "it's thursday so we have cornflakes" and I was like "but we could do one you like best today if you like, as you're with me" but surprisingly not following the chart really bothered her, so instead of having one she liked better, we had cornflakes
T Berry Brazelton was just wonderful.
I am single working mom who is not really wealthy, quite contrary. This is for privileged people and children, who have a lot of free time and lots of money to be this "creative". Alsp I don't think it's a good idea to give such privileges to little child. I will give the best what I have and my child will eat it, simple as that.
I always gave two options to mine: Eat....... or starve. Your choice.
My thoughts exactly. Just be glad there's food on the table. I wonder how many "picky toddlers" there are in poorer families and countries. Pity we'll be downvoted to hell soon.
You have my up vote
Sorry to disappoint, I agree with you both and have also up-voted you both. I was a member of the "eat or don't" generation. My parents survived the Depression, in Kansas no less, they did NOT play!
Sadly there is truth to your thoughts, this is why I don't comment on here much anymore, but I did up vote both of you guys :)
I agree. Plus the average parent hasn't the time or resources for this.
Well, eat or starve is too harsh an option. Food should be fun, but not overstated at the same time. Studies indicate that forceful eating leads to eating disorders in adults. However, just being ultra-lenient will not do the trick, either. My approach is to practice what I preach. To my experience, that actually works. Eating healthy meals _together_. The 12-month old wants to try the heavily peppered grilled vegetables? Remove anything that she could choke on and let her try a small bit. Just be relaxed...
I think that's not a very healthy way to deal with food issues. Children are learning likes and dislikes and how to manage their food intake. If you force food on them they don't like them they learn they don't get to control what goes in their own bodies. As an adult if I don't like something someone has made for dinner I don't eat it. I get an alternative. Children don't have they choice unless you supply them with alternatives because they are children and don't know how to cook yet.
I’m not sure what you mean by as an adult if someone cooks something you don’t like, you get an alternative???? If you go to a dinner party and don’t care for the food, do you request an alternative option? Or if you go to a family member’s house and don’t like the food, do you complain and get yourself something else? Or, do you simply mean that at your own house you cook to order for everyone’s tastes?
Ahh yes, the ol' "holier than thou" parent comments. You're right, r3dd3vIL, you probably will get voted down. Because people don't like unwarranted negativity when someone is just trying to be lighthearted an humorous. In other words: get over yourself.
In adulthood they’ll be able to choose to see you...or not. You’re making your own bed.
That's what my mother did and I would do the same thing. I remember my grandmothers' stories about the WWII and there was nothing about being picky. One old acquaintance said she was always thin, because she didn't like fresh bread and there was no chance any bread would have lasted long enough to become dry. And no one cared. She lived a long thin life :)
I was given the same, but we always try to make life better for our kids than we had it. She's definitely not confined by her income on what options she can provide for her kids so no harm done
I remember watching a program with T Barry Brazelton where he talks about how to get control of children at mealtime. He said to avoid meltdowns, instead of just asking your kid "What do you want for breakfast?" say "We have toast and yogurt, cereal with fruit and milk, or toaster waffles for breakfast. Which one of those would you like?" He explained that you allow the child to have control over his/her choices while keeping the decisions in the realm of what mom or dad can accomplish. I applaud Chrissy for her technique...because I also think that it adds a certain elegance to meals making it more likely to see an empty or nearly empty plate.
Honestly, I use the "What do you want for breakfast" a little too much.. But I liked this idea! And it's not too much work to implement either :) Do you remember the name of the program?
Totally agree! I was looking after my niece one time and in the morning she showed me their cereal chart and said "it's thursday so we have cornflakes" and I was like "but we could do one you like best today if you like, as you're with me" but surprisingly not following the chart really bothered her, so instead of having one she liked better, we had cornflakes
T Berry Brazelton was just wonderful.
I am single working mom who is not really wealthy, quite contrary. This is for privileged people and children, who have a lot of free time and lots of money to be this "creative". Alsp I don't think it's a good idea to give such privileges to little child. I will give the best what I have and my child will eat it, simple as that.