Resilience, Responsibility, Relationships, & Rest: A Look Into What Students Gained, Not Lost During the Pandemic

With the last 18 months being extremely difficult for many families and it’s very easy for parents to think about the educational and developmental losses that occurred in their children. What if we changed our lens, reframed our thinking, and took a closer look at what our children gained instead of lost in the last 18 months?

The picture starts to look a little different.

While this may be true for some families, it’s important to keep in mind that not every family had the same experience during the pandemic. Many factors contributed to how well or not a family was able to cope during the pandemic. The purpose of this article isn’t to overlook the difficulties and hardships the pandemic may have had on one’s family but rather to try and reframe our thinking, to find a little silver lining in what was a very difficult 18 months.

By switching our perspective lens, we can start to see the plenty of skills our children have gained:

• Resilience
• Responsibility
• Relationships
• Rest

Resilience

There’s no questioning that our children have gone through a difficult 18 months. Children had to transition overnight from being on campus with their friends to being isolated at home learning through a screen. Now they are at school but with many safety parameters. Desks are oriented differently; there are social distancing protocols; certain activities are no longer an option; and students are required to wear masks throughout the day. Things weren’t easy and still aren’t easy.

Even through all these disruptions and changes, our children coped and prevailed. They made it through what may be one of the most difficult and challenging times of their lives. Stressful times are an opportunity for our children to learn resilience and, for many of them, they did.

Our children learned how to bounce back. They learned how to adapt to the ever-changing circumstances that were thrown at them during the pandemic. The pandemic forced our children to deal with stress, loss, and anxiety head on. It challenged many of us to shift our mindset. We had to use the strategies we learned from RULER, breathing techniques, and mindfulness tips, to regulate our emotions. We’ve learned to handle our emotions, communicate better, and deal with our triggers, making us more resilient than we were before.

Responsibility

The pandemic has taught many of our children responsibility. Instead of relying on teachers at school, children were forced to rely on themselves. There was no teacher or friend right by their side the whole day. Many parents were working from home and couldn’t accommodate every need of their child throughout the day. Their children were now in charge of making their own snacks or getting the materials needed for the next Zoom class. They were required to log into Zoom at a certain time, turn in assignments, and get their reading done all on their own. Students were thrust into the driver’s seat of their own education.

The long periods of time at home, forced our children to be more proactive and independent. Many children gained life skills that may not have been learned otherwise at a young age. They learned how to independently operate technology, problem solve, take initiative, and entertain themselves. This level of responsibility will carry on for the rest of their lives as they encounter difficult situations along the way.

Relationships

More time was spent as a family than ever before. With most parents working from home, the time spent together under the same roof exponentially increased overnight. What typically would be 1-2 hours of family time per day, instantly turned into all hours of the day. Parents were forced to slow down and spend time with their children and not fret about getting their child to the next activity. Parents now had unstructured, unplanned, quality time with their children. Children’s lives were enriched with more cooking activities, art projects, games, outdoor time, and authentic conversations with their families.

For those that have siblings, being forced to stay at home only strengthened the sibling bond. When the pandemic hit, the siblings became their only play partners. They learned how to be flexible, understanding, and mindful of one another, while appreciating each other more than ever before.

Rest

For many, life before the pandemic was hectic. School during the day, activities after school, homework, dinner, bath, and bedtime. It was a constant go, go, go. The pandemic taught us to rest. It forced us to slow down and take a breath. Daily life can get very transactional, and the pandemic forced families to put their feet on the ground as opposed to always being on the run.  

Children and parents are taking it slower and enjoying more time outdoors or unplanned, unstructured time with each other. We’ve noticed how much children and parents enjoy this slower, unstructured pace compared to the jam-packed days with back-to-back activities after a long day at school.

As you can see, if you take a step back and put on a new lens, you can start to see the little wins that have occurred during the pandemic. While we continue to struggle and journey through the pandemic, remind yourself and your family to celebrate those little victories.

Fostering Student Expression

At The Willows, we believe each child brings our community an extraordinary gift: a curious mind, ready to explore, and eager to learn. We believe that in order to allow our children to grow into lifelong learners who discover, ask questions, make connections, and take creative risks, we must foster student expression.

Fostering student expression starts within the classrooms:

The Willows encourages students to ask questions, be creative, and take initiative in their own learning

Projects The Willows’ assigns allow for students to have substantial autonomy. Students are encouraged to think outside of the box, think for themselves, and find new and creative ways to connect their learning. This type of learning fosters more creativity, creates a sense of ownership, and provides new opportunities for students to express what they have learned through their own unfiltered lens.

One week during the school year, The Willows departs from the day-to-day curriculum to offer an in-depth, cross-disciplinary study of the school wide theme called Intersession. Intersession offers a different approach to project-based, experiential learning and an opportunity to fully integrate our disciplines in a fresh, illuminating academic experience. Intersession fosters deep learning and allows for student expression in a variety of ways by letting them choose their class and spend a week of diving deep into open ended projects.

The Willows values individuality

Willows’ teachers embrace differences and out of the box thinkers. We encourage and foster, creativity, new ideas, new perspectives, and dialogue. We want students to speak up and to be passionate about their learning.

In middle school, students can team teach an elective with a teacher. This unique team-teaching experience allows middle schoolers the option to dive deeper into a subject and learn how to create a curriculum, manage a classroom, and collaborate on a professional level.

There’s also an annual middle school fashion show. The fashion show is a collaborative effort between the art teachers and middle school students. It is an opportunity for self-expression through wearable art that takes its inspiration from the school wide theme. Students are encouraged to create fashion out of a variety of materials and often repurpose other clothing or recyclables to create finished pieces. Under teacher guidance, students design outfits, walk the catwalk, MC, and DJ the show. The Fashion Show embraces creativity, diversity, and personal interpretations of the theme.

The Willows promotes inquisitiveness

We teach our students that anything is possible. If there’s an issue at the school, try and fix it. That’s what happened when we didn’t have an efficient rack to hold all the sports equipment on the yard. Instead of bypassing the problem, our middle schoolers decided to find a solution using the Design Thinking process. They interviewed teachers and students from all different grade levels asking them questions. After reviewing all the data, they created blueprints and a prototype. They then tested it out and eventually made a final product for all students to use.

The Willows understands that in the real world many problems are not always linear, and it takes creative thinking, inquisitiveness, and the ability to view the problem from a different perspective to solve a problem.

The Willows removes constraints for creativity

Many of the projects that are done at The Willows are open-ended. This provides students with the opportunity to find creative ways to tie in their learning. Open-ended projects reach and engage more students as it gives them the chance to explore and present in a way that’s meaningful to them.

Projects at The Willows come in all shapes and sizes. By allowing students to create in their own medium, they can explore the content more fully. Teachers are constantly evolving lessons and activities to make sure there are bountiful opportunities for students to take control of their learning.  

The Willows also offers many outlets for students to be creative such as being part of Rock Band, Dance, Electives, Fashion Show, Intersession, and Theater. These are just a few opportunities that allow students to embrace their creative side.

The Willows learns by doing

Hands-on learning is integrated into everything at The Willows. We believe children learn best when they are fully engaged using all their senses. Students are immersed in hands-on learning throughout the day. Instead of showing what students can do, we have them do it. Through trial and error and pushing them outside of their comfort zone, students begin find out a lot about themselves as an individual, student, and learner. It allows them to dive deep into an introspective view on the type of learner they are, their interests, and their passions.

What we teach in the classroom, we hope extends beyond the classroom. We believe that our approach to fostering student expression in the classrooms will provide our students with the skills and tools needed to live fulfilled, meaningful, and joyful lives.

The Importance of Using Technology in Schools at an Early Age

Technology has become so prevalent in our society that everywhere you look; you’re surrounded by it. Whether it’s in our homes, our cars, our pockets, or in our schools, you can’t avoid it. While there can be many drawbacks of technology if not monitored or used correctly, there are many reasons why it’s so crucial for our young children to engage with tech in a developmentally appropriate way.

At The Willows, we use technology in all grades as a tool to enhance and supplement our curriculum.

Technology Engages Students

By incorporating technology into the classroom, it can help transform the mundane into the extraordinary. The book report that was once done on paper can now have QR codes and interactive pictures when combined with cutting edge technology. The history lesson on the Gold Rush in 5^th grade can be presented by using Scratch, a block-based coding program, which can make the project come alive with sounds, graphics, and lights. All these different uses of technology in the classroom make students become active participants in their own learning.

Technology Facilitates Communication

Through programs like Google Docs, Google Classroom, Zoom, and Seesaw, students are now able to communicate with peers, teachers, and professionals via technology. The ability to communicate with a marine biologist in Antarctica or an astronaut in space has never been easier. Students using technology can easily collaborate, review, and participate with individuals and experts from all over the world with just a simple click.

Technology Opens the World

What was once only accessible by plane, students can now travel the world via the Internet. Learning about the world and different cultures is easier now than ever before. Classes have established pen pals with students in other countries and have been able to learn about each other’s cultures through technology. Google Maps, museums, and libraries have created virtual tours and 3D maps that allow children to explore cities and historic landmarks almost anywhere in the world from your computer screen.

Technology Prepares Students for the Future

Our world is constantly changing and evolving. We must prepare our students to learn in different ways and through different means. Introducing cutting edge technology at school gives students the opportunity to engage, experiment, and experience technology that will be needed for them to succeed in the future.

Technology Helps with Multi-Step Directions

Following directions step-by-step is an integral part of the classroom and work environment. Students need to be equipped with the ability to recall, listen, and follow through a series of instructions. Traditionally, younger students spend a lot of time in the classroom working on this skill through games and songs in the classroom. Now, technology can assist with that. The new trend of learning to code in elementary school focuses on how students learn cause and effect, sequencing, and critical thinking skills. These skills are supplemented through technology that requires students to follow multi-step directions and problem solve to get the intended result.

As technology becomes an integral part of how we work and live, we must adapt to how we teach and how to use technology in a developmentally appropriate way to supplement learning. Teaching our students technology at an early age will better prepare them for the future and create new opportunities for meaningful learning experiences inside and outside of the classroom. The Willows, always embracing new technology, adapts to the ever-changing environment of society to best support and prepare our students for success.

Willows Alum Creates Social Emotional Intelligence App – Stella 5.0

This story begins with a problem. The problem? A lack of research on the mental health of people working in isolated places. When there’s a problem, The Willows teaches students to find a solution. That is exactly what alum, Isis Ginyard, decided to do. She created the Stella App; An app that helps people working in isolated spaces cope with mental health issues.

Isis, currently a 16-year-old at Windward High School, started this app when she was an 8^th grader at The Willows and has been working on it over the last three years constantly evolving it to what it is now Stella version 5.0. She was inspired by The Willows MAKER classes and her time spent on the middle school robotics team. The app, which originally was intended for astronauts, is now reaching many other professionals living in isolated environments, such as underwater research teams, researchers in Antarctica, and even many of us living through the pandemic.

Stella App is made up of multiple components that focus on the different factors that contribute to mental health. These components are exercise, sleep, diet, journal, and therapy. The app allows individuals to track these components to make sure they are getting enough exercise, sleep, and nutrition. It also provides individuals the ability to track their moods and thoughts through a digital journal as well as access to a weekly/daily psychiatrist. This all-encompassing app ties in all the main factors that contribute to mental health and offers live customizable and personal suggestions based on the dynamic data that is being logged by the individual and monitored by a psychiatrist.

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In addition to the continued evolution of the Stella App, Isis is looking for new partnerships to help take the app to the next level. Isis belongs to 10 different clubs, two of which she founded and two of which she is president. One of the clubs she started is a “Women in STEM” club. She has also been teaching middle school kids to code and is starting a magazine that focuses on diversity and inclusion based on her experiences in the Visibility Group at The Willows.

The Willows is an environment where “Great Minds Grow”. Our school culture, flexible approach to innovation, and hands on learning continues beyond our walls. Isis Ginyard is living proof of that!

From Camper to Author: “Notes from the Camp Bunk: A Guide for First Time Campers from a Camper”

We want our students to dream big and to find ways to make an impact on our community. For one 7^th grader, she did exactly that. Our very own Willow’s student, Eden Martin, wrote and self-published, “Notes from the Camp Bunk: A Guide for First Time Campers from a Camper,” a book to help kids feel more confident about attending camp for the first time.

For years, Eden has been attending sleepaway camp 3000 miles away and from her experiences, she recognized that many kids miss out on this amazing experience because of fear. She wrote this book with the hope to help kids overcome their fear of going to sleepaway camp for the first time.

For the past year, Eden worked on writing her book at home and at The Willows Writing Club. The process was long and required researching the history of camps in the United states, learning how to follow a format, creating a book cover, and finding an editor. She wanted her book to be a kid version of Dr. Michael Thompson’s book, “Homesick and Happy”, which is a book for parents about camp. Eden knew that book played a pivotal point in her father’s decision to allow her to attend her first sleepaway camp. Eden took it upon herself to reach out to Dr. Michael Thompson and see if he would be willing to talk about her book. They met via FaceTime, she in California and he in Massachusetts, and Michael Thompson provided her with specific feedback and suggestions, and ended it by speaking about the wonders of summer camp.

Eden took some time to talk to us about her process and journey to self-publish her book.

What inspired you to write this book?

I had read Caleb Maddix’s book, “Keys to Success for Kids.” He’s a kid entrepreneur. In his book, he talked about setting goals and following through with them. I noticed that there weren’t any books for kids about going to camp and definitely not one written by a kid, so I thought I would make that my goal, to write a book about going to camp for the 1st time.

What words of advice can you give other kids your age that want to write a book?

Be committed and choose something you are passionate to write about. Remember what effect you want to have on the reader.

What was the process like from writing a rough draft to getting it published? Any difficulties?

The rough draft was actually many drafts.  It was helpful to have many people read the draft and give suggestions. I was able to meet with Michael Thompson who had written a book about sleepaway camp for parents. He gave me some good feedback.

What was the hardest part for you?

The hardest part was the middle part of the book. I felt really motivated at the beginning,

It was hard to get myself to keep on going. The pandemic made it difficult as well because I was on the computer all day anyway. Screens nonstop.

Do you feel The Willows education helped you in this process of writing a book?

I attended Liz’s writing club which really helped keep me going. It was really inspiring that we have a writing club and were allowed to work on anything we wanted. 

At The Willows, we thrive for our students to think outside of the box, challenge themselves, and become citizens-of-the-world. Eden is a prime example of that. We are certain, Eden’s book and journey will inspire others and that one day, kids will reach out to Eden to ask her for a meeting.

Eden’s book is available for sale at Village Well Books and Coffee as well as many camp stores and on Amazon.

The Shift from 5th Grade to Middle School

One of the biggest shifts in education is the transition from elementary school to middle school. So much is different: the responsibility and independence, class transitions, multiple teachers, student expectations, new building, relationships, etc.

On top of all that, students are going through one of the biggest changes of their life: puberty. All of this comes at what may be a very vulnerable and challenging time for students and parents.

From the beginning years, The Willows fosters a love for learning, connections, and scaffolding (educational instruction to support independent learning), while teaching students the skills needed to become independent lifelong learners. As students embark on middle school, The Willows doesn’t lose sight of the foundation that was built in the lower grades and really encourages and expects students to be more independent and resourceful. Middle school years are a time of profound growth–physically, social emotionally and cognitively. During these middle school years, students really discover themselves as learners and as individuals.

To help ease with this transition and ensure its success, The Willows has implemented many opportunities to help parents and students navigate the shift from 5^th grade to middle school.

Home Visits

Before the school year begins, middle school teachers visit each individual student’s home and spend 30 minutes one-on-one getting to know their students. This home visit allows students while in their own comfortable setting to ask questions and get acquainted with their new teacher.

Class Virtual Meeting

Prior to school starting, the middle school teachers host a virtual meeting for all incoming 6^th grade students and parents. This gives parents and students the opportunity to hear about middle school and what to expect.

Meet & Greet

This is an opportunity for parents to visit the middle school building and meet the middle school teachers before the school year starts. They see their child’s classrooms, the layout of the building, and student lockers.

Shadow Day

Near the end of the school year, the 5^th graders have the opportunity to shadow 7^th graders for half the day. The 5^th grader can ask questions, attend classes, and get a feel of the new building and the flow of the day.

In School Q & A

Near the end of the school year, the 5^th grade teachers coordinate a time with middle school teachers to do a Q&A with the 5^th graders to answer any of their questions.

In addition to these opportunities, The Willows has strategically placed teachers in 5^th grade that have middle school teaching experience. This creates a bridge between the upper elementary and middle school. Knowing the style of the middle school, the 5^th grade teachers can then mimic the middle school style of teaching and expectations to prepare 5^th grade students in a developmentally appropriate way.

The Willows goal is to instill in all the students the confidence and persistence to tackle any challenges that lie ahead while providing the right amount of scaffolding to both parents and students.

Providing the Right Amount and Type of Feedback

As a parent, you know if you give too much feedback, your kids will get annoyed. If you give too little, you feel like you aren’t helping enough. If you give poor feedback, it will be ignored. So how do you know the right amount and type of feedback to give?

Below are some tips on how to provide effective feedback, which will help improve behavior, learning, and attitude.

Be Specific

Feedback needs to be specific so that your child understands what is praiseworthy. When you say, “Great job!” it doesn’t give any insight on what your child did great. Take the time to provide them with the information on what exactly they did great on and, if applicable, relate it to what they did differently than before. So, one could say, “Great job with passing your spelling test! I noticed how hard you studied and look how it turned out.”

Know Your Timing

Providing feedback days or weeks later won’t be as effective. You have to assess the situation and find the right time to provide feedback. Sometimes it needs to be done in the moment, while another time it might be later when tempers have calmed. For example, if your toddler is throwing a tantrum, providing feedback hours later is not going to have an impact as it would in the moment. On the other hand, if you are trying to provide feedback while your teenager is angry, it may lead to a full-blown argument and your message won’t be received as well as when anger has subsided.

Be Sincere and Believable

Most kids know when you’re being sincere or saying things just for the sake of saying things. If you make a comment to try and manipulate your child, your child may resent it and may disregard the feedback as a way for you to get them to do something you want. Let them know how you feel. If you’re proud of them, speak from the heart.

Encourage Introspection

Instead of always giving them feedback, ask them to provide their own feedback. Have them take a deep dive into their own self. Allowing children to do this takes away the feeling of being closely monitored or the feeling of being controlled. Next time, you can ask, “What do you think helped you improve your math grade from a B into an A?”

Be Thankful

We want our children to be motivated from within rather than be dependent on validation from the outside. If your child does something that you’re thankful for, tell them and be specific. Instead of saying, “Thanks for helping out with the dishes last night”, try saying, “Thank you for helping out with the dishes last night. I really enjoyed our conversation while we were cleaning. It really helped out the family, too, and allowed all of us to have an hour of quality time before bedtime.”

Check in with Yourself

Make sure if you’re giving feedback, you’re not delivering it when you’re frustrated or angry. Calm yourself down and think about what you’re going to say before letting impulse take over. Often when parents are angry, the feedback is poorly delivered and may trigger a fight or flight response from your child.

Be Selective

Try not to give feedback for everything your child does. If your child is seeking feedback or approval for every assignment, drawing, or activity, it’s probably because they have been conditioned to receiving constant feedback. It’s vital for children to develop their own internal sense of validation.

When trying these tips, be patience as you practice. It’s not always going to go the way you envision and that’s okay. Stay encouraged and continue to provide more authentic encouragement.

When to Push Your Child

Parents all want what’s best for their child but what do you do when your child is faced with something that is challenging to them? How do you react when your child is scared, anxious, or even panicking in the moment? The way you respond to your child’s anxiety-inducing moment may play a huge factor in how your child approaches uncomfortable and challenging situations in the future.

While many parents often want to protect their child and not let anything happen to them, this avoidance may hold kids back from crucial growth experiences. Instead of letting children avoid these uncomfortable situations, parents should encourage and push for participation.

Take this scenario. There’s a class talent show that will be performed in front of the entire school. Your daughter has practiced her dance performance for the last two weeks and is so excited to show her dance skills to the school. On the day of the talent show, your daughter comes to you before the show is about to start feeling nervous and scared. She tells you she doesn’t want to do it anymore and begs you to let her skip the performance.

What do you do?

If you let her skip out on it, you’re sending a message that anytime she feels uncomfortable, it’s okay to give up. She may feel regret after seeing all of her friends and classmates performing. Feeling uncomfortable is a normal feeling for everyone. What we have to do is teach our children how to manage those uncomfortable feelings.

If you push her to do it, she may be extremely uncomfortable in the short moment, but she will feel proud of herself for pushing through and doing it. She will get praise from her friends and classmates. The next time things get uncomfortable, she will remember this time and know she will be able to work through it.

It’s natural for children and even adults to avoid activities or situations where they may feel uncomfortable or risk failure. However, it is during these times, that parents need to push their child. Parents are able to see the bigger picture and it’s on them to make the decisions for their child to prevent them from developing negative patterns of behavior that will affect them later on in life. While it may not be easy to watch your child struggle and fail, the ongoing push and support from you will eventually build courage in your child.

So, the next time your child is faced with anxiety and uncomfortable feelings, assess the situation and know that the value of a little parenting push goes a long way.

What Should I Ask at Parent-Teacher Conferences?

With three parent-teacher conferences per year, it’s important to make the most of this valuable time with your teachers. Being prepared and having an informative meeting can help provide you with a clear insight on your child’s social emotional well-being, social skills, work ethic, and academic performance.

Here are some helpful questions you might consider asking to help maximize time spent with the teachers.

Social Emotional Questions:

How is my child doing emotionally?

It’s important to know how your child is feeling at school. Is your child generally happy? Are there times or certain situations that make your child feel frustrated or stressed?

How is my child doing socially?

Parents want to know who their child is playing with and how they get along with others. Is your child a good friend and/or classmate? It’s also important information to know the type of role your child plays in social settings. Is your child typically a leader or a follower? Does your child ask for help when needed?

Does my child show empathy and respect?

We all want our children to be kinds, thoughtful, and caring individuals. Your teachers spends hours a day seeing your child interact as a classmate, student, and friend. School is much more than just academics.

How does my child contribute to the class community?

An important part of school is to learn how to coexists in large groups and small groups. How does your child communicate? Does your child participate in discussions? Is your child a leader?

Academic Questions:

Is my child’s academic performance on track?

This is probably one of the most common questions asked at a parent-teacher conference. Remember to ask the teacher to explain any assessment tools used to gather this data.

Does my child need to assistance in any areas? If so, how can I help at home?

This question shows that it’s a team effort and that you, as a parent, are willing to help out. Asking this question gives the teacher a chance to provide activities that are tailored to your child’s needs.

What are my child’s strengths?

Just as it is important to know what your child needs to work on, it is also imperative to learn about your child’s strengths.

Does my child try hard?

Understanding your child’s attitude towards work is extremely important. Does your child put in the effort when the work is hard or does your child give up? Does your child take the time to do the work or does your child rush through it? Effort matters.

In addition to these suggestions, be sure to ask, “What can I do at home to reinforce what you’re doing in school?” This helps improve the collaboration between parents and teachers. With parent-teacher conferences coming up, feel free to ask these questions to gather more information on how your child is doing at school.

Tips to Overcome a Picky Eater

If you have a picky eater, you know how difficult and stressful every meal can be. While it’s easier to let your child eat whatever and avoid the struggle, it’s not a long-term healthy solution. The good thing is it’s never too late to start working on getting picky eaters to try new foods. The following are some tips for parents to help broaden your child’s food palette.

Make Food Fun

Throw out the old saying, “Don’t play with your food.” In this case, it’s important to let your child play with. Provide small samples and make it visually enticing by cutting it into shapes and making it colorful.

Avoid Forcing your Child

Try not to force your child to eat new foods. You may get your child to eat it at that time, but it may cause them to avoid eating it in the future or even trying new foods all together.

Consistently Offer New Foods

It’s important that your child sees new food choices at the dinner table on a regular basis. When your child sees new foods regularly, the experience of seeing it won’t seem as strange.

Keep a Positive Attitude

It might take time and it can be frustrating, but it’s important for parents to keep a positive attitude. If you are negative, your child will only become more resistant to trying new foods.

Eat Family Style

When it’s dinner time, make sure there are no screens at the table or any other forms of distractions. Create a habit that when everyone sits down at the dinner table, it’s time to eat as a family. Serve one meal for the whole family and resist making a separate meal for your child. Do your best to include at least one food your child likes to eat with each meal.

Involve your Child

Make it an experience! When you’re at the grocery store, let your child choose new foods. When you’re in the kitchen, let your child help with cooking. Having made a contribution to the meal process, there is a greater chance your child will be willing to try it.

Don’t Give Up

While you don’t want to force your child to eat something, you also don’t want to give up. Research has shown that it takes 10 or more exposures to a new food before a child will try it. If they don’t eat it the first time, try again in a couple of days and so on.

Talk about Taste not Health Benefits

If your child doesn’t want to eat something, don’t try to persuade by saying it’s good for you or it will make you stronger. Kids don’t care about the health benefits of food; they care about the taste. When introducing new foods, describe to them the taste and how much you like it.

Avoid Bribes

While it may seem the right thing to do, bribing your child with treats to eat other foods will only make the treat more exciting and the food you want your child to eat an unpleasant experience.

Hopefully these tips will help turn your picky eater into a more adventurous eater and ease any tension next time at the dinner table.