Recently, my one-year old has been transitioning from puréed foods to solids. Some days he surprises me and enhales everything on his tray, and then other days it’s either thrown across the room, or fed to the dog. It’s not necesarily the mess that bothers me, but more so the waste! Moms, is that normal?

I recently read an article from our friends at Mom.me titled the,”6 Rules for Raising Healthy Kids.” To read the full article, click here. The part that related to my current situation was the tip about not force-feeding. They say:

“Set a house rule that your children need to try a new food three times before deciding whether they like it. If they still don’t dig it after the third attempt, then Mom and Dad need to let it go. On the flip side, banning foods from your household can backfire, so rather than forbidding certain foods, set up specific parameters for when treats can be enjoyed.”

I thought this was a good rule to keep in mind…for the next decade or so. Do you have any advice on transitioning to solid foods? Or dealing with picky eaters?

More from RealSimple.com:

Dealing With Picky Eaters

50 Family Recipes Kids Actually Like

10 Easy Breakfast Recipes for Kids