Sunday, May 4, 2008

Therapy

When you plan meals, do you take the "messy factor" into consideration? Maybe you hate cleaning up spaghetti strewn across the table, or jam smeared everywhere within reach. Or maybe the thought of your child massaging carmel into their own hair is more than you can handle.

Or maybe, you are like me. Maybe you think of meal time as therapy time and offer your child every sticky, gooey, messy food item you can find, and feel like cheering them on when, after a few timid pokes, they reach out and get their hands dirty - and enjoy doing it! Antalya has an aversion to certain tactile stimuli. Picking up a piece of cake, touching a marshmallow, or sticking a finger in a drop of pudding, for example, is enough to start her on a gaging fit. We have been working hard at overcoming this reaction. We still have a ways to go, but this week she has picked up and eaten pieces of toast covered in jelly, and she has self-fed herself a bowl of spaghetti. It was great! Here's a few pictures from dinner tonight to prove it!

12 comments:

Carly said...

I loved when my kids were little and they enjoyed eating and would dig right in. You are smart to take the clothes off especially for spaghetti. I say let them get messy and enjoy the whole experience.

Megan said...

Yay Antalya! Great photos of her beautiful eyes. :-)

Christine said...

Congratulations on letting go! Isn't it amazing at the things we'll let our kids get away with if we know it will really help them? By the way, I saw your post about Antalya. Are you coming? Or thinking about it?

Christine said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Becky J. said...

You're amazing, Antalya! And you're smart to not have a shirt on her, Sunny! What a cutie.

And thanks for feeding my little girl the other day. That was so nice of you all to take Sophie to the park and let her have fun while we moved. Thanks for your help and for your friendship!

Brittany said...

That looks like fun! Sometimes I wish I could eat like that. Seriously, wouldn't it be fun to let go and just dive in to your favorite food?? By the way I finally answered you tag on my blog. Sorry I've been horrible at keeping up with in for April.
Did I tell you I'm coming to Utah in July? I'll call you!

Stuart and Sarah said...

How I wish I could eat like that again! Antalya is so adorable

Jill Hunt said...

Those pictures are so cute! I love watching my little ones eat spaghetti too. SHe is doing so well. Love it!

hiatt family said...

spagetti is my favorite to watch kids eat. The bigger the mess the better!

Tash said...

I love all of the pictures of Antalya. She is so cute! We really enjoyed visiting with you last week. I only wish we lived closer.

kristi said...

Let me tell you, TC makes a mess everytime he eats. Thank God for laminate flooring!

The Mom said...

Ohhh - I love that last picture. Antalya's eyes are GORGEOUS!!! Your sweetie is such a doll - especially covered in spaghetti!