Mom Shares Hack for Getting Toddler To Eat Everything on His Plate

Getting a toddler to eat their vegetables can be difficult, but a mom has gone viral on TikTok after revealing how she encourages her son to eat everything on his plate (even those pesky tomatoes).

Mealtimes can sometimes be a challenge for mom-of-two Bryanna Gray, 25, as her 3-year-old son Mason certainly isn’t afraid to tell her when he doesn’t want to eat something. More often than not, it’s the vegetables that pose the biggest problem, as Gray told Newsweek that he doesn’t like foods with “strange textures.”

But rather than getting frustrated with her son, Gray, from Queensland, Australia, tries to make mealtimes as joyful as possible instead. One of her hacks, which she shared on TikTok (@bryplustwo), is to get creative by making faces out of the food and show Mason that vegetables can be fun as well as healthy.

In the video, Gray can be seen adding tomatoes for eyes, carrot for hair, and chicken for the nose—and Mason couldn’t resist copying her, despite saying several times that he wouldn’t eat tomatoes. This is a great way of getting the toddler to enjoy healthy foods, and the genius trick has gone viral with more than 812,700 views and over 60,600 likes.

Gray said: “Mason generally doesn’t like to eat vegetables, so we just try to have fun with it most of the time. It’s easier to do it this way rather than getting angry with him. Even if he’s reluctant to eat it, he usually ends up enjoying the food once he’s tried it.”

While the trick works “most of the time,” Gray notes that it isn’t fool-proof and sometimes Mason still doesn’t want to eat what’s in front of him.

How To Handle a Picky Eater

There are many ways to encourage even the fussiest eater to try something new, but Dr. Deborah Gilman, a psychologist who specializes in attachment, parenting, and child development, says that one of the best tips is to make it fun.

She told Newsweek that making mealtimes positive is a great way of showing children that trying new foods can be “fun and rewarding.”

When children try new foods, Gilman recommends positive reinforcement through praise and rewards. This could be verbal, stickers on a chart, or a small reward such as dessert for eating their vegetables.

“Start with small steps to gradually introduce the non-preferred food. For example, if a child refuses to eat broccoli, begin by simply placing a small piece of broccoli on their plate and gradually increase portion sizes,” she continued.

“Even if children initially refuse, continue offering it in small portions without pressure. Increase exposure to the non-preferred food by gradually increasing portion sizes or frequency of serving it. This allows the child to become more familiar with it and develop a greater tolerance.”

It can be beneficial to pair the unwanted food with familiar favorites, including melted cheese, or a sauce that they love. Above all, Gilman urges parents to give children “a sense of control” by encouraging them to taste the food but offering them choices in how they have it. Ask them if they want it raw, cooked, chopped, in a sauce and so on.

“They don’t have a choice about trying it, but they can have a choice about how they eat it,” she said.

How Did Social Media React?

Since posting the TikTok video, Gray has been delighted by the positive response it’s received so far. She hopes it could help other parents who are struggling to get their children to eat their vegetables too.

“It has been a great reaction online, and a lot of people find it healing to see our connection and the way I approach things with him,” Gray told Newsweek.

With over 990 comments on the viral post already, many social media users praised the mom’s patience and innovation. One comment reads: “Love this! So playful. Not engaging in a power struggle. Perfect.”

Another TikTok user responded: “Beautiful way to teach your child how to eat with fun and to overcome a fear!”

While another person wrote: “I absolutely love this. Great way to get them to at least give it a try and have fun while doing it!”

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