My husband and I don't have kids, but we love to spend time with out nephews when we can (my family lives in central IL, so it's about a 5 hour drive, so we only see them about 3 or 4 times a year).
Hubby and I are both more kid than grownup, and it definitely is an advantage in getting the kids to do what we want them to without a fuss.
One of my personal specialties is getting kids to taste what they don't like or are afraid to taste. I once got a 4 year old (a very, very picky eater who refused to eat almost anything) to taste chicken liver by appealing to the disgusting factor that appeals to little boys. I told him to guess what I was eating, and I whispered "guts," and asked him if he wanted to try them. He did, and didn't like it (which I suspeceted), but he LOVED the adventure part of it - and that's really the point I was trying to pass on. We may not like everything, but it's fun to try it.
I also tell little kids in a "did you know (isn't this interesting) that some things you don't like when you try them, you might like on the second, third or 10th time? And that some things you didn't like when you were little, you might like when you're bigger.
My husband's not bad at it either. Once visiting the family in IL< at the dinner table at my mom (grandma)'s house, my sister put one tiny bit of broccoli on the 3 year old's plate (she puts a little bit of everything on the kids' plates, but the don't have to eat all of their vegetables, so long as they eat all of one - my mom always serves at least 3 vegetables, usually what ever's left over from the night before and one or two new). My husband (he adores broccoli) told Jayden (you need more little "trees"!) and Mary told him that "Jayden doesn't like broccoli."
"You don't like little trees?" He asked Jayden, pretending to be shocked. "Those are my favorites! Are you sure you don't like them?" He put a little dab of ranch dressing on Jayden's plate and asked him to try the "little tree" dipped in the dressing. And he showed him how (barely touching the broccoli to the dressing). Not only did Jayden eat the tiny piece of broccoli, he wanted more and he ate it not only with the dressing, he started eating them without (because he was copying the way my husband was eating his, without the dressing). So now he likes broccoli, because, just like his Uncle David, he likes "little trees."
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I'm in for quite a time when this child starts to walk... he'll get into EVERYTHING.
