A New Ten Commandments

As a working parent, my days are pretty jam-packed and nerve-racking. I don't get home until after 6:00 and I still need to run errands, keep the home running smoothly, and maintain a fun and exciting marriage. Sometimes at the end of a demanding day, I just want to put my feet up and spend some quality time with my family. But like most busy parents, leisure time is nothing more than a pipe-dream. At night, there’s noise, tantrums, and disorganization, which seem to last until everyone falls asleep. So I'd like to at least make the effort of making mealtimes enjoyable. I'm looking forward to Laine eating table food with Erik and me at dinner. I need to go out and purchase a food processor to make the bites itty bitty for her, and I'm really looking forward to learning to cook for a baby and learn what she likes and what she doesn't. I'm going to try to follow these rules to introduce foods to her and keep it fun for all involved.
1. Thou shalt not force, bribe or coerce thy child to eat.
2. Thou shalt set a good example by eating at least five fruits and vegetables, three whole grain products, and three dairy servings per day thyself.
3. Thou shalt make mealtimes pleasant.
4. Thou shalt encourage thy child to help in meal planning, preparation, and cleanup.
5. Thou shalt back off when mealtime becomes a power struggle.
6. Thou shalt accept food "binges" as phases that will eventually pass.
7. Thou shalt accept the fact that thy child is an individual and thus will dislike certain foods (and there may be many!).
8. Thou shalt not give up on introducing thy child to new foods. Thou shalt realize it sometimes takes ten tries to get a child to accept a food.
9. Thou shalt use this division of responsibility for eating: As the parent, thou art responsible for deciding when and what to serve. Thy child is responsible for deciding how much (if any) will be eaten.
10. Thou shalt give thy child a multivitamin-mineral supplement if he is a picky eater.