Do you make your kids eat what they are served?

[mistylady]

I like to have the kids try new foods but I don't force them to eat. If they get hungry they'll eat. My kids are picky eaters (4 and 5 years old). I save my battles for other important things like not picking noses or not hitting each other in the car. I just choose my battles carefully since I can't fight them all or I'd be in a nut house!

 

[RockyToggRanch]

My youngest is in college now, so it's nice to think back to when we were going through those times. I always let my kids decide how much of something they wanted. They'd put an oven mit on and spoon out their own helping. If it was something new I'd tell them ahead of time "now you probably aren't gonna like this as much as I do...it was always my daddy's favorite and I had to beg him to share it with me..so you only take a little bite then I can have the rest." It's amazing what good eaters they are! Out of 3 kids, I have one who doesn't care for mushrooms. They eat everthing else.

I remember forcing myself to eat sardines when I was little, just because daddy liked them. No one asked me to eat it, but I did. yummy

 

[Acre of Blessings]

Quote:
That is very sad to read.

I never even feed my dogs chicken bones...surely this is not true?!

Oblio13 wrote:
I used to love to hunt rabbits. My kids thought they tasted awful and wouldn't eat them, though. But they liked chicken. So we ate a lot of chicken. My kids never noticed that the chickens didn't have any wings.

I actually ate this "odd chicken" one time at a friend's house, thinking it didn't exactly taste like chicken and later noticed the caged black rabbit out back was MISSING!!!! My gag reflex goes into overtime just thinking about it!!

Scrambled~~Unfortunately for me and my brother and sister, it is. My Dad was not really a dad in my book, forgive me Lord, but he was a wicked man, very mean. He passed away 3 years ago on Valentines day. When I got to NC where he lived I was told that his heart had literally burst.

 

[the1much]

11 pages is alot to read,, i made it to page 1 and 11 hehe,, but my kids have to do what missprissy's do ,, if they havent tried it,, they have NO choice on trying new things,, and since im a yankee ,, and moms a southern freak,hehe,, so they get all kinds of different foods,, they have to chew and swallow 3 bites before allowed to say they dont like it ,, then they dont have to eat it ,, but if we're having something they dont like,, its either, sit and watch us eat ,, or eat with us,, we will not make something "just for them" ,, and it will soon be a world where you eat whats in front of ya ,, shoe leather or meat lol,, so they betta get used to it lol.

 

[The Chicken Lady]

My parents did. They taught us that to do otherwise would be disrespectful and rude. We were always instructed to "try a little of everything" at other peoples' homes, and always have something nice to say about the meal.

At home, if it was on our plate, we had to eat it. Food = money, and it was a sin to waste either in our house (plus, my mom wanted us to have good nutrition).

 

[The Chicken Lady]

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That kept running through my mind last night. I guess I just needed to know that we weren't being too hard on them. The youngest seemed to accept it. The oldest however, cried his eyes out and it just broke my heart.
Thanks Miss Prissy.

Watch enough of those TV nanny shows and you'll see plenty of sad-looking parents who are "run" by moaning and crying little kids. It's pathetic.

If you are the adult, make the decision and stick with it. If they cry, well, bummer for them. They'll get over it and they'll learn a good life lesson in patience and gratitude for what they have at the moment.

If you coddle them, they'll learn that one way they can get what they want out of you is to throw a tantrum or turn the tears on. Then you'll end up with obnoxious, rude children that are a pain to take anywhere because they embarrass you by throwing crying tantrums whenever they don't get their way.

If you're interested in some good parenting books or videos, I'd suggest checking out Love and Logic.

 

[the1much]

i cant watch that stupid show ,, wifers wont let me,,, the kids may hear some new words ,, man them people disgust me!!

 

[RockyToggRanch]

I never forced my kids to eat anything. They never wasted anything because they chose. This is what's for dinner. Eat it or be hungry. Only take what you will eat. If you dish it onto your plate you are expected to eat it. If it's something new then take a small portion and go back for seconds. My kids loved the idea of going back "for seconds". And they almost competed to like the stuff mommy likes! You don't have to eat any of it. I love it and will eat ALL of it. Then I'll have more energy than you...ha ha ha haha. Ohh... I wish I could go back and enjoy it all over again!!

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

There was a point in our growing up that if we complained about dinner we had to cook the next meal for the family. We learned pretty early in the game to just smile sweetly and thank whichever parent had prepared dinner!

 

[Ugly Cowboy]

Quote:
LOL My folks made me do that once and only once! Not cuz I was picky in any way, just cuz they didnt wanna cook. So I made what my cuzins always had whenever I stayed with 'em: roast opossum. They liked it until I told 'em what it was, then they wooped me and never had me cook nothin again! Heck, I thought it was good...