My Two-Year-Old Eats Octopus: Raising Children Who Love to Eat Everything

By Nancy Tringali Piho

Book Overview

Approaching its topic with humor, style, and a critical eye, this unique guidebook enables parents to provide a healthy and diverse diet for their children. Instead of providing yet another guide to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1933503173
• ISBN13: 9781933503172
• Release Date: November 2009
• Publisher: Bull Publishing Company
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.9" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Inspiring!

I picked up this book because I have a 10 year old who eats nothing but bland, colorless foods. I found it extremely inspirational and full of great concepts and ideas. My child is now trying new things and enjoying them! This book would be a help to all parents, especially if you have little kids, getting them off on the right foot in eating well, lots of great tips from professionals as well as experienced parents. I wish I had this book earlier in my childs life, I wouldn't have had to go through the last years worrying if she was getting the proper nutrition in order to grow and thrive!

My Two Year Old Eats Octopus: Raising Children Who Love to Eat Everything

First, I have to say that I write this review from the biased perspective of being a foodie mom. I love food, cooking, restaurants, cookbooks, the Food Network, everything associated with eating good food. I want my kids (15 mths, 3 and 5) to grow up that way, too, sharing in the joys of our family meals. And never have I come across a book that so perfectly lays out the best way for parents to achieve that! All I can say is that this book really, really gets it. The author gets what it's like to be a parent who wants her kids to eat more than buttered pasta noodles and applesauce, doesn't want them snacking all day on Goldfish and string cheese in place of meals, or growing up thinking that soda is a desirable beverage. And she gets what it's like to try to put that in place in a kids' world (daycare, playgroups, nursery school, birthday parties, babysitters, etc.) that think that "kiddie food" is the only thing that children will eat. If you ever feel like you're swimming upstream because you give your baby steamed and pureed "real" carrots instead of the "carrotesque" product in a jar of baby food, then this is the book for you. (And after you read the section on taste test comparisons between jarred baby foods and the real thing, you'll never buy another packet of that stuff again.) Be prepared: This book will make you think. You may not agree with every single point or concept, but overall, it's a fascinating look at the world that has become "kiddie eating" in the last ten to fifteen years or so. Like the author, I can't believe how much has changed in just a generation or two, before the days of so much special catering to kids and dumbing down their food options. There is also a TON of practical advice that shows you that it's really not so hard to teach your kids that vegetables don't taste "bad," just "different!" Or that there are restaurants where you do sit down, order, eat and behave yourself. It takes practice, consistency and commitment to that message, which believe me, will be reinforced after you read this book. It's perfect for any parent with young kids in their lives.

Giving Every Parent Hope in the Eating Arena

Author Nancy Piho makes so many great points that I as a mom, grandmother, and cooking teacher, can expand on. Not that my two-year-old ever said "more octopus," but trips to a Farmers Market that offers tastings of fresh local ingredients sold one of my grandchildren on strawberries, and another on broccoli. Keeping the 'green' world in mind these days could be one of the Piho 'plays' in her book --- growing and eating this food could make the world better for 'you' to live in. This fits in with sustainable seafood and Seafood Watch at the Monterey Museum or showing children how to read the nutritional labeling. It's the real life situations described that win you over and make you laugh. Until you read this book you may have thought you were the only one who had a child that would only eat plain pasta and chocolate anything. It's fun to be proven wrong.

Interesting perspective on changed eating habits..

I found this book a fascinating read, even though my children are older and mostly past the picky eater phase. What was so interesting was the author's exploration of some of the societal (and marketing) changes that affect all of our eating habits - adults and children alike. Children used to have fewer choices, and they ate pretty much what their parents did. The author notes how nowadays there are a slew of food products marketed just to children, and how many of these products don't even taste like real food - many have fantastical flavors and neon colors, for example. (It was surprising to learn what the author discovered when she had her friends and family taste test the baby and toddler food products). She concludes that many parents just accept the notion that children eat their own special foods, completely separate from what adults eat. I strongly agree with the author that, just like pretty much everything else in life, good eating habits and good nutrition need to be taught to kids. It takes time, and you may not see results right away, but letting your own eating habits serve as an example will go far in the long run.

Opened My Eyes

This book was fantastic. I had no idea what I was doing to my children. I was more interested in making sure they got fed and not what they were eating. I now take a different approach when ordering at a restaurant. I am now hesitant to order from the children's menu and, when they do order, ensure that they are getting a balanced meal at dinner time. At home, I rarely provide the easy meals (mac & cheese) etc, but intead make them eat the same foods that I eat. Much to thier surprise, they actually enjoy it. The added benefit is that it makes them feel very grown up sharing a meal with me. This book ought to be required reading in parenting class!