Eating

by Michelle Kennedy

Kids who refuse dinner never starve. Sometimes they don’t want the chicken on their plate because they’ve just eaten two peanut butter sandwiches. The author discusses between-meal snacks and gives ideas for painless weaning, introducing kids to solid foods, helping to change the attitude of picky eaters, and more.

Moms and dads sometimes find their kids resisting the recommendations and strategies proposed by childcare specialists. That’s when it’s time to turn to Last Straw Strategies , a series of lighthearted books filled with practical, old-fashioned wisdom that has passed down through the ages. A longtime journalist and an experienced mom, Michelle Kennedy offers pragmatic solutions instead of fashionable psychological theory. Her user-friendly books contain sound suggestions for relieving three of the most common frustrations suffered by new crying, eating problems, and sleeping problems. Her attitude—infused with wit, energy, and compassion—is perfectly complemented by humorous two-color line illustrations that appear with most of her examples. Parents might want to laugh at some of the proposed solutions, but their laughs will become delighted smiles when they discover that the solutions really work!

128 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2003

About the author

Michelle Kennedy is the author of numerous books on parenting, the memoir "Without a Net: Middle Class and Homeless (With Kids) in America" published by Viking, the memoir "A Fine Mess: Living Simply With Children," and the novel, "Gandhi was a Libra."

Her articles and essays have been published in Salon.com, The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, Redbook, Family Circle, FamilyFun Magazine and many other publications. She has also read her work on National Public Radio.

Michelle is the mother of eight, grandmother of one, and in addition to being a writer of words, is also a lover of dogs, a gardener of weeds (and weed!), and a knitter of tangled things.

Please find her on Facebook or write to her at mushergrrl@gmail.com

Reviews

[Vivian · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of several titles in the "Last Straw Strategies" parenting series which promises "99 tips to bring you back from the end of your rope". Most of the suggestions certainly would not have qualified as challenges in my family and many are actually counter-intuitive to how many children interact with food. Yes, some of them might be a fun "just once" experience, and many have to do with manners both at home and eating out.

Not one of the suggestions was helpful to our challenge.