NaBloPoMo - The Modified Happy Plate

I know that most toddlers are picky eaters, but it took me awhile to actually realize it because my oldest was and still is the best eater in the world [to us].
My youngest, on the other hand, is the typical 'picky eating toddler' statistic. He drives me and my husband absolutely insane.
If he could live solely off of oatmeal, applesauce, bananas, yogurt, pb&j's and his beloved graham crackers, he would. (Now that I think about it......he may. Just kidding.)
Every night, there is some kind of "issue' with him hoarding chewed-up food in his mouth for 30 minutes and the night's particular dinner juices seeping out of his barely closed lips.
Yuck.
My oldest usually eats all of his dinner, but with so much attention constantly going to his brother at dinnertime, we started rewarding with fruit snacks.
Sidenote: We usually only reserve fruit snacks as potty-training rewards.

Dinner a couple of nights ago was no different. My youngest refused to eat his food and instead pushed the food around (and onto the table) with his Elmo fork.
With a little coaxing encouragement, my oldest ate all of his food and said, "I made a happy plate. I want fruit snacks peeease."
While he ate his fruit snacks at the table, my youngest whined, "Fruit snaaaaaaaacks." We explained to him that if he makes a happy plate like his big brother, he could then have fruit snacks too.
He pointed to the small empty spot on his plate and said, "A happy plate!"

The arrows shows my youngest's 'happy plate.' My oldest's plate is on the right.

My husband pointed to the food and asked, "What about this?"
I chuckled.
With my head down of course.

My husband tried to feed him again and my youngest once again leaned over his booster seat's arm rest while saying, in distress, "Noooooooowww."

We ignored him and he proceeded to 'outsmart' the situation by putting his spinach on his daddy's plate!
We acted like we didn't see what he was doing, just so we could watch his mind at work.
Once he got all of his spinach onto his daddy's plate and said, "Eat the food."

Yes, he had the audacity to pose for the camera. I guess he was proud.

We got up, shook our head and held our laughs.
No fruit snacks were given for that 'happy plate.'


On another note, I was a picky eater as a toddler and child so I'm sure this is just nature's payback. Please remember, what you did as a kid will re-materialize in your children.


This post is apart of BlogHer and YeahWrite's November NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month).