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Parents know how unpredictable kids can get. One moment they will eat anything you put in front of them, and then the next, they will refuse even the most appetizing food. When this happens, moms and dads end up thinking outside the box to change their children's picky eating habits. One dad offers a clever food hack: make your kids think the food you cooked is the favorite meal of their K-pop idols!
In July 2019, dad Rein Gumasing shared his food hack on Facebook. He cooked paksiw na isda and since he knew his three kids might not like it, he printed out random Korean words and the name of the dish “PAK-SEE-WON” (get it?) to convince them that it’s a Korean dish.
Hilariously, it worked! “My kids have enjoyed my lutong paksiw after telling them it’s a Korean recipe and putting props on the side,” he shares on Facebook together with a photo of the dish. “I told them it was their K-pop idol’s favorite food, they ask for more.”
The 'wais' trick quickly went viral with fellow parents and users commenting on his genius idea. As of this writing, it has more than 12 thousand likes, 1,100 comments, and 7,200 shares.
In an interview with SmartParenting.com.ph via Facebook messenger, Rein shares he thought of the hack after their kasambahay left in April. Since he works from home (he runs a graphic design and printing services business called Striking Eyes) and he’s in charge of looking after their three kids while his wife is at work, he had to get creative.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW“Instead of punishing my kids for not eating their food, I use some tricks to help them enjoy what’s on the table. My kids love K-pop groups so I used that to motivate them,” he explains.
Rein adds that his kids, Ashley, 9, Yana, 8, and Troy, 3, did not believe him at first. “The truth is, they were not 100% convinced with the paksiw trick. They still have the idea that it’s Filipino food. I just added stories that their K-pop idols love it so I can convince them. Now they ask for paksiw from time to time.”
Rein proves that parents are the best when it comes to thinking of hacks, but he also shares a valuable tip to get picky eaters to try new dishes: “The most important thing is the taste because kids cannot be fooled,” he says.
What tricks do you use to get your picky eaters to eat? Share it in the comments! Or click here to learn more tips to get ‘maselan’ kids to eat healthier food.
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