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| Picky, Picky, Picky. That's the name of the game. |
- Don’t spend hours shopping for groceries and cooking fabulous meals. You may think you can tempt your loved one into eating. You can’t. Working too hard for too long with little thanks will lead to resentment for you and guilt for him and that doesn’t help anybody.
- If you work too hard preparing a meal, it puts stress on the person that is expected to eat it, making the meal look like a mountain that must be conquered. If it looks like too much, it’s difficult to even make a start.
- If you’ve prepared food that is not wanted, just remove it. No harm, no foul.
- Don’t present your favorite recipe expecting that it will be received as a masterpiece. Food is not welcome, but don’t take it personally.
- Think of food as medicine. Offer it regularly, in small portions.
- Variety is important, but if you find a food that works, don’t be afraid to repeat it. Go with what works.
- Make recipes that come together quickly and that don’t have a lot of expensive ingredients. You may end up throwing most of it away. That’s okay – waste is the least of your worries just now.
- Lower your expectations about quantities of food eaten, focus instead on quality.
- Cook to please yourself if you enjoy cooking. Take a day off from cooking every now and then if you need it. Offer simple foods on your day off.
- Sit down to eat and take the time to enjoy it. Although the person that you’re caring for may be less than enthusiastic about food, don’t let it spoil your meal, or infringe on your time to eat it.
- Consult with one another. Listen. Collaborate.
- Be flexible.
- It bears repeating. Don't take it personally.
Now that we've recovered from microbephobia, I can again touch my keyboard to comment!
ReplyDeleteHere's a recipe you may try to lure Roger to the table, it smells soooo good! Fragrant Rice: 1 cup rice, 1/2 t. Chinese 5 Spice (Whole Foods has it, others may as well), garlic powder to taste; cook rice in the normal manner.
Now for my other suggestion. Years ago our art-challenged family began a tradition of making "Bad Art". After the holiday table is cleared and covered in plastic, all the art supplies come out and we go at it. No judgements, no critique (in fact we let it dry on the floor and then toss it!) While not frame-worthy, you could temporarily frame it until Roger is making frame-worthy work again. With his current blurred vision, bad art may be what the doctor ordered!
Hi Sharon! I remember we did one of those "bad art" days with you and it was really fun. In fact, that was my inspiration when I bought what few art supplies I could get at the grocery store. Not everything has to be a masterpiece, it's good therapy.
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