(Disclosure: My oldest son and I are in Orlando for the Disney Social Media Moms Conference. While I did pay for my conference ticket and travel, the event is subsidized by many sponsors. Opinions are always my own.)
Have you taken the Food List Challenge on Facebook? I’ve tried 83 of the 100 foods on the list. Given the opportunity, I would likely try all 100. Why? My parents always encouraged me to try new things. As a child and teen, I accompanied them on trips around the world– learning about history, art, language, cultur
e and trying new foods. These family trips inspired a lifelong love of learning and voracious reading habits. But they also made me a more adventurous person, which was definitely a factor in starting my own small business in 2010.
My children are two and five. They may be a bit young for international travel, but they aren’t too young to try new things. We’re at the Disney Social Media Moms Conference. Yesterday, we attended a dinner event about the Disney TRYit! Challenge, sponsored by Disney’s Magic of Healthy Living.
My five year old is not the most adventurous eater, but I persuaded him to try an Apple Spinach Smoothie and a Watermelon Salad with Feta Cheese. He wasn’t a fan of the feta cheese, but he did try it. And that’s good enough for me.
TRYit! is about more than food. Experiences count. Disney has TRYit! Challenges available online— like Freeze Dance and Scooter Soccer. Mickey Mouse was break-dancing at the party, and my son joined in on the fun. He was certainly dancing like nobody was watching– let’s just say the style was “creative.” I felt such joy watching him because he was so happy!
We’re in Disney World through May 15th, and I plan on encouraging my son to try some new foods. On our “list” is Tusker House Restaurant at Animal Kingdom— a buffet restaurant with typical “kid food” as well as African cuisine. While my five year old will likely eat chicken or a burger, I hope he’ll also “try” a few bites of saffron-infused root vegetables, plantains, or tomato cucumber salad with mint yogurt dressing.
How do you encourage your kids to try new things?
