A subject I have been avoid pondering too much is how the kids will do with the food in France, specifically the food in French homes.

Eating at a hibachi restaurant with Remy. Cal ate hibachi and Asa ordered orange chicken. The girls ate plain white rice…

Cal is pretty adventurous and actually gets excited about trying something new. I can be picky but I’ve come a long way and like a lot of stuff I wouldn’t even try a few years ago. I still am not a big fan of soups and casseroles.

Asa has odd tastes in foods but usually is a good sport in trying new things. Nova is 4 and can be particular too but she also can be adventurous.

Nova being adventurous: orange juice and chocolate milk at the same time!

My pickiest by far is Esme. She has dental issues and also has some sensory issues regarding food. She likes a few raw veggies and fruits, French bread, pasta, rice and some cereals. She only eats one brand of yogurt and only eats salami and chicken nuggets for meat. We manage at home; we buy the foods and brands she likes. When we travel, she usually eats okay at restaurants with typical kids-menu fare.

My concern is that we are spending a lot of time in people’s homes. Half or more of our meals will be consumed with others and many of those will be prepared by others. She will be 8 when we go so some people might not be very understanding of her pickiness.

I hope she gets past some of her pickiness and broadens her tastes some. She’s old enough to understand being polite. We will have our own car so we can have some groceries on hand for emergencies. In the end, I think it will be a good opportunity for her to get out of her comfort zone. In the meantime, we are trying to push her boundaries gently.

As a former picky kid I know brute force and punishments don’t work. I could always hold out longer than the grown-ups and would take a punishment over eating something new any day. It only firmed my belief that the unfamiliar was bad. Cal came around with only gentle encouragement and now he’s my most adventurous eater. Hopefully, Esme starts to feel adventurous soon too.