Ah, the joys of parenthood. One minute your angel of a baby is soundly sleeping or doing something cute, and the next they’re giving you a hard time about any little thing that bothers them.

This can be quite the challenge, but you have to remember parenting is a learning curve! Your baby is getting used to things like eating new foods, meeting new people, and being away from you more often. As they adjust, you’re presented with new parenting challenges.

When it comes to eating, you’re going to experience the fussy eater stage at some point. Maybe your little one is already at this point and you fear they’ll be picky for the rest of their lives. Maybe they’re just starting to show signs of fussiness and you want to handle this habit before it gets out of hand.

Either way, the following tips for finicky eaters can help!

1. Schedule Regular Meal Times

One of the best ways to make your child a better, more adventurous eater is if you improve at setting meal times. You can’t have breakfast ready at 8:00 A.M. one morning then expect them to eat at 7:00 A.M. the next.

This applies to all the other meals throughout the day, including snacks. Of course, life happens and you won’t have a full meal ready at the exact time every day. Just try to keep variations between meals to a minimum.

2. Don’t Make a Big Deal About New Food

While you’re getting ready to feed your child, don’t make a big deal about what’s on the menu. Some parents play up the thought of trying something new a little too much. This can end up being off-putting for your child rather than exciting.

Make an effort to treat a new piece of fruit, another vegetable, or even an entirely new dish as you would anything else. Being so nonchalant helps your child be calm about trying something new. Then, it’s easier for both of you to tell whether he/she really doesn’t like a certain food or if they’re just being fussy about it.

3. Introduce Everything in Small Amounts

In the same way that you shouldn’t make a big deal about new food, try not to serve a big amount of it right off the bat, either. It’s better to introduce new foods in small amounts. This allows your child to get a taste of something different without overwhelming their palate.

Not to mention, if you begin adding a certain food into meals little by little, you can tell your child they’ve been eating it all along if they try to tell you they don’t like something.

Don’t be rude about this, though! Simply explain to them how you’ve been using an ingredient in other dishes they’ve liked and that this is just a new way of eating the same food.

4. Make the Most of Snack Time

Another solution for how to get a picky baby to eat is to introduce new foods at snack time. Your baby is going to be so focused on getting a snack, they may not even notice what that snack is!

This goes for solids as well as soft foods and liquids. Use snack time as a way to feed your child a new fruit or a yummy, creamy dish like hummus or yogurt. Be careful of allergies of course, but don’t be afraid to take advantage of this time.

If solid foods are giving you more trouble than you thought, check out this blog to help you out. This goes for snack time and regular meals.

5. Be Creative in the Kitchen

Whether you’re packing a light snack for an afternoon out of the house or you’re trying to decide what to make for dinner, make an effort to be creative. Try to present as many colors in a child’s meal as possible.

This way, you don’t end up with a fussy eater who rules out an entire color of food. Children have a way of deciding things like that. Instead of saying they don’t like the texture or taste, they will only want red food or make a fuss about eating green food.

Mix things up. Serve scrambled eggs with a little bit of fruit and some light morning vegetables like tomato and avocado. Make a colorful bowl of pasta with fresh vegetables at lunch or add a bit of color to rice with peas and corn.

Such additions may seem too simple to you, but they work wonders for your child. A little more color here and there will make them get over the fussy eater stage in no time.

6. Minimize Distractions During Meals

Sometimes, the answer to super picky eaters isn’t about what the parents make or how they serve it, but the overall eating environment. Turn off the TV during meal times and put away your child’s toys.

Do your best to be as attentive and engaged as possible, too. Put away your phone if you’re sitting down for a snack with a toddler and try to give equal amounts of attention if you have more than one child. If you’re feeding a baby who needs to eat many times a day, communicate this to your other little one so he/she understands.

7. Don’t Bribe Your Child

There’s good communication during meals and then, there’s bribery. This is often the hail Mary effort parents make to ensure their child is eating.

They’ll promise a cookie or small treat as long as the child eats the food in front of them. While you may end up with a clean plate now, you’re creating bad habits for later. Your child won’t enjoy these foods as much if they’re just eating them for a piece of candy.

Not to mention, nothing good comes from bribery in terms of your relationship with each other. You have to ride out this stage together, not take a detour.

Turning Your Fussy Eater into a Healthy, Happy Baby

When a child is a fussy eater, it’s not just a headache for the parent. It can hinder their overall health and quality of life if their fussiness goes on for too long. Children need a well-balanced diet, which is why parents need to understand the tricks above to better help them create that.

Once you cross healthy eating habits off your parenting checklist, you can begin to focus on things like potty training, good manners, and more. Plus, this allows you to start thinking about bigger parenting responsibilities like paying for braces and saving for college, too!

To learn more about the braces process for children, click here.