Isaac and I recently had a massive argument concerning a bowl of vegetable soup. I said he had to eat it; he refused; screaming ensued. He sat at the table for two solid hours, while I contemplated dumping the soup on his head (like I'm told my grandmother used to do whenever my mother refused to eat her dinner). The only thing that stopped me was the realization that after the soup hit the floor, Isaac would get off scot-free and I would have to mop.
... I hate mopping, so the evening ended with an early bedtime for the kiddo and then I ate the soup myself.
It wasn't more than a week later that I was offered an opportunity to review a DVD called Copy-Kids Eat Fruits and Vegetables. Basically, it's a film featuring several little kids eating fresh produce and liking it. The idea behind the product is that your child will watch the movie and copy the healthy habits portrayed.
... And now that I've seen the DVD, let me just say:
It reminds me of that scene in Elizabethtown where Claire gives Drew a video and says, "Here, play this for the loudest kid in the world." And he does - in fact, he plays it for an entire room of the loudest kids in the world - and they instantly go quiet.
Well, it's like that. Only in regards to eating fruits and veggies.
First thing Saturday morning, I put a plate of raw cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, and apples in front of my kid, turned on Copy-Kids, and watched in utter astonishment as The Most Stubborn Kid in the Whole Wide World ate all of it and laughed while doing it! On top of which he loved the movie. He has since asked to watch it just for fun.
Oddly enough, I've even started craving bell peppers, and I don't usually like them. It's incredible what adorable, chubby toddlers and the power of suggestion can produce.
If you're still not convinced, take a peek at the preview reel.
... better yet, plunk your kid in front of it for a test run ...
See what I mean?
G I V E A W A Y
GIVEAWAY
DETAILS:
THE PRIZE: Copy-Kids Eat Fruits and Vegetables DVD.
GIVEAWAY DATES: Now - Sunday, 5/13, 11:59 PM EST.
HOW TO ENTER:
You may enter up to three times, only make sure you leave a separate comment per entry along with your email address.
AND/OR
2) Tweet/Blog/FB about this giveaway!
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The winner will be chosen using a random number generator,
and I will post the announcement on Monday, 5/14/2012.
and I will post the announcement on Monday, 5/14/2012.
Best of luck!
LINKS:
Such a simple yet brilliant idea! I am going to make a video for the children (my child) who throw monumental temper tantrums whenever I say no and then scream at the top of their lungs while scooting across the floor on their backs. :-)
ReplyDeleteSeriously,this worked?! How awesome is that!
ReplyDeletei like copycat on facebook
ReplyDeletewould love this dvd - miss baya is such a fussy eater!!
and of course i like your page on fb too
ReplyDeleteand i tweeted too :)
ReplyDeletebut how did the original kids start eating the vegetables... they had no dvd to watch and copy! THAT is the real question.
ReplyDeleteOr, you could cook the vegetables Chinese-style, since the way we Westerners cook vegetables sucks. Stir fry any veggie in vegetable or olive oil, add a dash of salt and a splash of soy sauce or curry powder, and viola. Chinese kids love veggies since that's what they eat as soon as they're weaned. The key is to get kids into the habit early, and give them vegetables that taste good. You can also tell them that it will help their kung-fu skills, and put on a DVD of Kung Fu Panda and watch them burn out their energy trying to mimic the kung fu moves in the living room. Tired kids with bellies full of veggies...what can be better?
ReplyDeleteRebecca: Brilliant plan!
ReplyDeleteLaura: Yep, worked like a charm.
Polly: Thanks!
Ayla: Kids go through phases. When Isaac was a baby, he only ever wanted to eat broccoli ... now, it's hard to get him near it. Most likely these kids liked the veggie/fruit they are filmed eating, and then watched the other kids to start eating the others. The video just emphasizes a fact of life - most kids will copy what they see other kids do, so it's less of a struggle for the parents. Anyone who consistently eats veggies will start to crave them, whether they liked them in the beginning or not.
Mark: Good idea. I love veggies this way too ... and you can NEVER go wrong with kung fu.
Thankfully both my children were rabbits in their prior lives as we have no issues with veggies or fruits in our house. Meat on the otherhand...is known as crying food. I think this is my fault as I am a closet vegitarian and dont eat the meat on my plate either. But I digress....
ReplyDeleteCute idea for a video. I had no idea things like this could work. How interesting.
ctny
oh my word! that's pretty darn cool!
ReplyDeleteso glad your kid started eating veggies. ;) it's obnoxious when they refuse :P