The extraordinary benefits of trying new things

This is something that one has to start in toddlerhood. There are many two and three year olds who would happily eat Goldfish and Chicken McNuggets only. Sometimes we parents give in but it isn’t really good for the child.

Food

While finding food that fits the idea of edible for a small child feels like a gargantuan chore it’s necessary. Vitamins, minerals, proteins and other building blocks for a strong, healthy body do not lie in one, two or even three foods. So she doesn’t like bananas? Try an apple. He can’t stand rice? Try pasta. This does not change as we grow older. Think about it. How varied is your diet? When was the last time you tried anything new? How many foods on the “I won’t eat it”list are on yours? Trying new things leads to liking new things.

Experiences

Introducing a toddler to sand or grass for the first time is an exercise in wonder. They will feel it, smell it and probably even taste it. We smile indulgently but when was the last time we tried to do something new? It doesn’t have to be all that challenging. For some taking a parachute dive would be ideal. Some of the rest of us are so afraid of heights we wouldn’t get out of a perfectly good airplane unless it was on fire and in danger of crashing. That needn’t stop us. Start small; maybe go to a new restaurant or visit a new city. Why are these things important? We need to keep learning and doing in order to grow. So you tried escargot once and it was horrible. You learned something and it shouldn’t stop you for sampling calamari. You went camping. Maybe there weren’t outlets in the bathroom but those squirrels were sure cute, weren’t they?