Families are all gearing up to stuff themselves with food that has been painstakingly chosen and taken hours to prepare.  Parents take time off work, clean the house and look forward to the whole family showing their appreciation by enjoying the meal.

But, what if your kids turn up their noses at it all or at least part of the Thanksgiving feast?   First of all, even if it is a pain and embarrassing that your kids won’t eat the stuff you have prepared, it is normal. 

It takes kids at least 15 tries before they will accept a new food. 

So, most likely your kids are going to do a whole lot of rejecting at the dinner table than accepting. 

So what can parents do?

Here are a few helpful hints for the holiday meal with kids…

1. Even from a young age get your kids involved in the process of making Thanksgiving.  The more kids ‘own’ part of the meal, the more likely they will be to indulge.  Let them dress up like the turkey or one of the other parts of the dinner celebration.  Or let them stir some ingredients together.
2. If you have rolls with dinner, let the kids eat their turkey slices inside like an ordinary everyday sandwich that they are familiar with.
3. If you are making a casserole, make a few small personal ones in a tiny dish especially for your kids.  If kids food looks special, even if it’s the same as adults, they will be more likely to eat it.
4. Always put at least ‘one’ food you know your kids will love even if it is not a part of the traditional Thanksgiving meal.
5. The vegetables that are a part of your dinner, can be much more enticing to kids if you add a little natural sweetness.  That can be done with corn and a few sweet raisins.

Lastly, always remember that the most powerful memories are made through our sense of smell.  So even if your kids don’t eat, they will be more likely to remember the thankfulness around them by smelling the food cooking than by even eating it.  Talk about what they smell and let them smell even if they won’t eat.

Look forward to the smells in your house this year and don’t stress if your kids don’t participate in the taste.

  Happy Thanksgiving, Dr. Ann