A Sweet Sunday Morning at the Strawberry Farm
Toddler vs Strawberry… I’m not sure who won
Every summer, the strawberry farms near us open their doors for strawberry picking… and every summer slips by without us going.
Last Sunday, the fruit-picking gods aligned, and we finally went to collect a delicious haul of strawberries.
Our son, who is fast becoming a fussy toddler, hasn’t been much of a fan of strawberries. We’ve offered them to him on several occasions; he’ll put one to his lips, pull a funny face, and put it back down again. We were hoping this might be a fun way to get him into eating strawberries.
We packed the car and drove the seven minutes down the road to Minh Tran’s Strawberry Farm, where our adventure would begin.
We arrived at a rustic farm shed surrounded by tractors and other farming equipment, absolute heaven for a little boy. The friendly staff waiting in the shed greeted us and told us we were in luck. The strawberries were beautiful and there were plenty ripe for the picking.
We had the option to buy a pre-packed tray, or go out into the field and pick our own. Of course, we wanted to pick our own as that’s half the fun. It’s also all-you-can-eat while you’re out picking, so need I say more?
We grabbed our box and headed out to the fields.
As a mum who is constantly running around after a toddler, the first thing I noticed was that the strawberry patches are in rows. We could pick a row that didn’t have anyone else in it, put our son in the middle and, with each one of us standing on either side, he could run back and forth between us without getting into too much trouble. Total game changer!
We didn’t waste any time. The welcoming team had directed us to the smaller strawberries for our son. We started hunting for some bite-sized strawberries he could pop straight in his mouth. We picked one, handed it to him, and without hesitation, he gobbled it up and rubbed his tummy with delight as he said, “Yummy.”
Who could blame him? These strawberries were such a brilliant, scarlet red and plump with sweet, succulent flavour. Once we started, we couldn’t stop, and it didn’t come with that guilty feeling of eating one too many chocolates.
After that, he was on a mission. He was helping collect strawberries, and putting them in the box with enthusiasm… we just had to double-check, as some of them were half-trodden-on ones he’d found on the ground.
He kept saying, “More please,” indicating for us to find him another one he could eat.
We had such a fun time wandering up and down the fields, trying different varieties of strawberries and collecting them to take with us. My mind was going crazy with what I could make with all the strawberries when we got home.
Once our box was full, we trudged back through the dirt to our car. We were feeling happy, a little dusty, and so full of sweet strawberry goodness.
Our little toddler’s cheeks were flushed with strawberry juice and soil, but he was loving being able to do so much walking as we obviously couldn’t take the pram with us. He was absolutely exhausted by the time we got home and we ended up putting him down for an early nap. Another victory for the parents!
When he woke, he still had his love for strawberries, but things didn’t quite go as we’d hoped.
He asked for more almost immediately, but as we had bigger strawberries, we had to cut them. He looked at the cut strawberry with disgust and refused to eat it. We hunted around for a strawberry that was smaller so he could eat it whole. We found one and handed it to him… he then said, “Cut.”
Puzzled, I said, “Do you want me to cut it?” When he nodded, I took it back to the kitchen, cut it in half, handed it to him, and he looked at it in disgust again.
We went around in a never-ending circle of strawberry madness. To cut or not to cut? It didn’t matter. He wouldn’t eat.
I even tried giving them to him in a strawberry and cream cheese sandwich. He just opened it and removed the strawberries before eating it.
I’ve now had to hide the strawberries because he sees them and says, “More strawberries,” but I just can’t get him to eat them and he ends up getting upset that the strawberries aren’t doing whatever it is he wants them to do.
We did have a win when I blended the strawberries and made strawberry ice cream and strawberry overnight oats. He loved both. He even said, “Very happy,” as he was eating his oats for breakfast this morning.
Proof that he does still love strawberries.
Oh well, I guess this all just means we will have to go strawberry picking again in a few weeks.
Despite the madness that ensued, this day was so much fun and will be one of the sweet memories I cherish for many years to come.
A little extra: I’ve also made a strawberry-themed Christmas card design on Redbubble, just something fun I created with some photos I took on our day. 🍓
About the Creator
Sandy Gillman
I’m a mum to a toddler, just trying to get through the day. I like to write about the ups and downs of parenting. I’m not afraid to tell it like it is. I hope you’ll find something here to laugh, relate to, and maybe even learn from.
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Comments (22)
Thank you for sharing this wonderful story. Never gone strawberry picking but I think I should see if I can find a farm
It must be a fun experience. I have gone once strawberry picking before the kids. We went apple picking twice this autumn, though.
I loved your story. What a wonderful family outing and how funny he didn't want any once you got home. Looks like the fun was in the picking. I hope you have another wonderful adventure when you return and your cards are really cute.
This was a beautiful soulful read Sandy, I really felt the visualisation of your day, very relatable to me off course, toddler life, the running around and my son is picky with his strawberries also. Beautiful story.
You wrote this very well, and it looks like your son had the time of his life...even if he is picky about how strawberries are presented at home. Toddlers are just like that sometimes.
This is such a delightful read, Sandy! What a wonderfully sweet and relatable tale of a family outing. Your description of your son's transition from strawberry-hater to enthusiastic picker (and the "cut/don't cut" dilemma that followed) made me laugh out loud! 😂
heartwarming story! My 3 year old will eat a whole package a strawberries at home but won't touch them at preschool. She will eat them if I cut just the green top off but definitely not if I cut them in half. Little ones are so funny what they are picky about!
When a child comes into contact with nature, their mindset changes and their preferences become more natural. You write very beautifully, Sandy. 🍓
I love the red of the strawberries as the background. And I love the black border around the two main photos. How lovely is it to pick a fruit straight from the plant! I think the toddler might've won, lol. I love how you described the scene when you all got there, including details like the tractors. "Need I say more?" Absolutely not! All you can eat... who would give up that chance?! Oh, I loved that idea: you and his dad on either end of one of the rows or strawberry patches 👌🏾😍. He went for an early nap? It sounds like you two were in absolute heaven. Between cutting the strawberries and having them whole—the toddler won that round 🤣🤣🤣. Well, come to think of it, I think you all won that day, including the strawberries, lol. Awesome idea for those recipes, and well done for creating that strawberry-inspired card pun design. Creative and heartwarming. 🤗❤️🖤
This is such a delightful read! 🥰 Your little strawberry adventure is bursting with charm. That “cut or not cut” loop is hilarious and so real. I’m imagining your toddler as the tiny, undefeated Strawberry Overlord of the farm—a legend in the making.
The strawberry saga made me laugh out loud toddlers truly are unpredictable little gourmets. The cut or not to cut bit is iconic.
Cute stuff! That sounds like a fun day! Strawberry oats sound delicious! I'm going to have to try them! This was a fun read Sandy! 💕
This is so adorable, kids are funny!
Fun story!!! I loved how you gave your son that first strawberry and he gobbled it up. I was so hoping that this would be the beginning of his love for strawberries. But maybe when to get him back out into the strawberry Fields again he will gobble them up again. This was a delightful story and I enjoyed reading it very much.
Great! Loved your story about your time in the berry fields!❤️
Strawberries exfoliate biofilm on teeth before it becomes plaque, they’re a remarkable fruit! Props to you for establishing healthy eating patterns early on in your son’s life 🥹🖤
Ah man I love how wholesome this is! Brilliant piece mate! I hope your little one enjoyed the day out!
Hehe very nostalgic sandy. Loved it. took me back in time. Hehe @Sandy Gillman
The strawberries - yay or nay - made me think that maybe your son has the same peculiar preference for strawberries as I do. 😄 Is it possible that the strawberries you've offered him at home were cold from fridge? Because I personally feel like cold changes the taste and makes them watery and a bit unpleasant to bite into, so I always let them come to room temperature before eating. And the strawberries from the field were most likely warm from the sun. Just a thought. But I can imagine you've tried everything already. I enjoyed reading about your fun family day! 😊
Hahahahhahahaha that cycle of to cut or to not cut, that was hilarious!
Looks like strawberry is winning 😀. Enjoyed reading this ❤️ Hi to your little man
Sounds like such a fun day!! And kids are so wild that way. My daughter used to love ranch dressing. One day, she asked me why there was tiny pork chops in it. I was flabbergasted lol. She was like 3. She is 11 now and still refuses to touch ranch. I have another that hyper fixates on food until she hates them. Her current fav is in fact strawberries..🍓 I find it so funny that they actually love the things they don't realize if they look different. If only they'd trust us more lol.