At some point every parent has engaged in the almost futile struggle of trying to get their child to try a new food. It’s a battle of wills that rarely leads to the desired outcome--even if you do manage to make them eat the food, the “battle” surrounding it has a very high chance of tainting the food’s image in the mind of the child. Since they were forced to eat it, their natural response is to rebel against it.
The trick is to let them explore new foods on their own, having the child naturally try new things of their own accords. But now we’re faced with a new problem: how does a parent plant this idea in their kid’s head? Well, children’s entertainment icon HIP HOP HARRY (www.youtube.com/hiphopharrytv) has the solution!
HIP HOP HARRY stars an eponymous bear that runs an afterschool program at Hip Hop Central, where kids gather to have fun and learn through song and dance. Throughout the show the children at Hip Hop Central are depicted trying many new foods. For example, the episode “Peas In A Pod” opens with the kids enjoying a veggie snack when Farmer Fran stops by with a variety of peas she has grown on her farm. The kids are a bit apprehensive at first, having never seen peas like them before, but once they try the peas they love them! (You can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/mY2yVRC3SfM)
This definitely is not an isolated incident either, throughout the series the children are open minded and always willing to try new things. Teaching through example is one of the most powerful ways to influence a child, and HIP HOP HARRY is the perfect piece of entertainment to encourage your kid’s exploration of food.
