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Do you make your kids eat what they are served?
- Thread starter tabsmonsters
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There are two issues here. One, making your kids try new things, and eating what is put before them. Two, eating at others homes or when you have company.
On the first item, I never purposely made things than my kids would not eat. Brussel sprouts and liver come to mind, yuck. They did have to at least try everything. But if you want to be a short order cook and bow to every whim of what your kids want to eat every night it will be a nightmare. Then youre fixing 2-3 different meals every night. Fix them food. If they dont like it perhaps tomorrow they will. Or go hungry. Kids will not starve themselves to death. My kids eat a huge variety of food. When we have their friends over for dinner there are so many things we have that these kids have never eaten or heard of. My daughters boyfriend only had microwave meals that came out of a box. How sad. He is also amazed that we all sit at the same table and chat during dinner. Everyone in his house goes to their respective room or sits in front of the TV.
On the second, do you really want a battle over food when you go to others houses? Or have company at your house? NO WAY. Let them eat what they want however much or however little they want. I do not want to be the food cop in front of others when I have no control over the food served. Thats for home.
On the first item, I never purposely made things than my kids would not eat. Brussel sprouts and liver come to mind, yuck. They did have to at least try everything. But if you want to be a short order cook and bow to every whim of what your kids want to eat every night it will be a nightmare. Then youre fixing 2-3 different meals every night. Fix them food. If they dont like it perhaps tomorrow they will. Or go hungry. Kids will not starve themselves to death. My kids eat a huge variety of food. When we have their friends over for dinner there are so many things we have that these kids have never eaten or heard of. My daughters boyfriend only had microwave meals that came out of a box. How sad. He is also amazed that we all sit at the same table and chat during dinner. Everyone in his house goes to their respective room or sits in front of the TV.
On the second, do you really want a battle over food when you go to others houses? Or have company at your house? NO WAY. Let them eat what they want however much or however little they want. I do not want to be the food cop in front of others when I have no control over the food served. Thats for home.
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I'd only serve him drum sticks, with charcoal burns and swiss cheese on wheat bread with a pile of green beans covered in salt and white pepper! EVERYDAY.... for weeks! Then maybe he's be hungry enough to finally just eat it.
That is just beyond insane!!!!
I'd only serve him drum sticks, with charcoal burns and swiss cheese on wheat bread with a pile of green beans covered in salt and white pepper! EVERYDAY.... for weeks! Then maybe he's be hungry enough to finally just eat it.
That is just beyond insane!!!!
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After the first 2 days of eating NOTHING, I'd have made something he liked. Starvation takes wayyyy longer than that. Good grief.
After the first 2 days of eating NOTHING, I'd have made something he liked. Starvation takes wayyyy longer than that. Good grief.
deleted until I can verify facts with my mother. I just want to say, please monitor very picky eaters to make sure they don't get sick.
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this is NOT directed at the OP, but rather the 'picky eaters'...there is a HUGE difference between picky eating and control issues. just like refusing to clean up, wash, obey etc. kids will push limits to test parents. as parents we do the best we can and keep going. tomorrow will have a new set of challenges.
also, as for eating disorders, that is not just from being made to eat what is presented, but how a person in treated and also tends to be a control issue. if there is nothing else in life that can be controlled, eating can. it is psychological and emotional. if your child has a display of behavior that is more than not eating carrots, but ALL orange items, 'fattening' foods, poor body/self-mage, other abuse in home, etc. of course, this is something to go to a doctor with asap.
and no, a kid cannot starve themselves in two days. dehydrate, yes, starve, nuh-uh. there are kids walking around Africa who haven't eaten anything for weeks. by the way, many children there are now eating mud. yes, a fact. if they are hungry, they'll find something to eat.
also, as for eating disorders, that is not just from being made to eat what is presented, but how a person in treated and also tends to be a control issue. if there is nothing else in life that can be controlled, eating can. it is psychological and emotional. if your child has a display of behavior that is more than not eating carrots, but ALL orange items, 'fattening' foods, poor body/self-mage, other abuse in home, etc. of course, this is something to go to a doctor with asap.
and no, a kid cannot starve themselves in two days. dehydrate, yes, starve, nuh-uh. there are kids walking around Africa who haven't eaten anything for weeks. by the way, many children there are now eating mud. yes, a fact. if they are hungry, they'll find something to eat.
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We make them take a bite or two of things they don't like - mostly vegetables everytime it is cooked. I wholeheartedly agree with the part about it not being what they want - my kids have gone without dinner several times because we will have food that they like, but it just isn't what they want. We have always had the if you don't eat your supper then you don't eat til breakfast rule (unless they're sick or something but that is rare). Even the soon to be 4 year old understands that if he doesn't eat that he can't have anything else. We always make sure that there is something cooked that they will eat.
We make them take a bite or two of things they don't like - mostly vegetables everytime it is cooked. I wholeheartedly agree with the part about it not being what they want - my kids have gone without dinner several times because we will have food that they like, but it just isn't what they want. We have always had the if you don't eat your supper then you don't eat til breakfast rule (unless they're sick or something but that is rare). Even the soon to be 4 year old understands that if he doesn't eat that he can't have anything else. We always make sure that there is something cooked that they will eat.
I have a TERRIBLY picky 2-year-old. He gets it from me. I was a very picky eater growing up and still am somewhat. Green vegetables used to make me gag as a kid. They still taste very bitter to me, but now I make myself eat at least 1 serving daily because I know they're good for me.
My parents were the "eat what you're served and clean your plate" type. I agree with this philosophy (to a certain extent), but I don't think my son is old enough to "get it" yet.
I try to make sure that in each meal I serve there is at least one item I know he likes. I serve him small portions of everything we're having, even if it's something I know he doesn't like. I don't try to make him eat the whole meal, but if he doesn't finish or at least eat some of everything, then he doesn't get to share dessert with papa. If he doesn't eat but starts acting hungry after the meal is over, I reheat the meal (I always serve his food on a microwavable plate) and offer it to him again.
When worst comes to worst and he won't eat anything I serve, he goes to bed hungry. I worry that I am being too mean, because I know he's too young to understand entirely, but I know if he was hungry enough he would eat.
My parents were the "eat what you're served and clean your plate" type. I agree with this philosophy (to a certain extent), but I don't think my son is old enough to "get it" yet.
I try to make sure that in each meal I serve there is at least one item I know he likes. I serve him small portions of everything we're having, even if it's something I know he doesn't like. I don't try to make him eat the whole meal, but if he doesn't finish or at least eat some of everything, then he doesn't get to share dessert with papa. If he doesn't eat but starts acting hungry after the meal is over, I reheat the meal (I always serve his food on a microwavable plate) and offer it to him again.
When worst comes to worst and he won't eat anything I serve, he goes to bed hungry. I worry that I am being too mean, because I know he's too young to understand entirely, but I know if he was hungry enough he would eat.
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Oh, that reminds me of a funny one. My DD was about 11 years old when we went to a Chinese food buffet restaurant. She started to put a LARGE mussel on her plate when I told her that I didn't think she would like the mussel. She insisted that she did like them. Before she put it on her plate, I told her that if she took it, she HAD to eat it. Of course, she took it anyway.
You should have seen how big her eyes got when she put it in her mouth. I looked at her and said, "Eat it". She swallowed it whole without even chewing it. She never did that again.
Oh, that reminds me of a funny one. My DD was about 11 years old when we went to a Chinese food buffet restaurant. She started to put a LARGE mussel on her plate when I told her that I didn't think she would like the mussel. She insisted that she did like them. Before she put it on her plate, I told her that if she took it, she HAD to eat it. Of course, she took it anyway.
You should have seen how big her eyes got when she put it in her mouth. I looked at her and said, "Eat it". She swallowed it whole without even chewing it. She never did that again.
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