One thing is to always encourage children to try new things. When we go to an ethnic restaurant (Chinese, Mexican, Indian, etc.--Taco Bell and fast food Chinese don't count!), they must order from the regular ethnic foods...no hamburgers, pizza, spaghetti, etc. We have had fun as a family trying new foods, and we started this when they were toddlers. I remember going to eat with my cousins growing up...they would only order spaghetti or a hamburger at any restaurant we went to! To this day, they refuse to try new foods and anything "exotic" sounding is automatically labeled "gross" by them!
I also don't believe in forcing kids to eat something they clearly don't like. One of my uncles "wore" some liver-n-onions they insisted that I eat. :roll: But on the flip side, my kiddo is required to at least try the new food. His pediatrician told him at one of his appointments that he "had" to take at least three bites of any new food. So maybe try to enlist the doctors help, she did that unsolicited, but it really made an impression on him. If he doesn't eat what is served, he has to have something "healthy" later. No junk food allowed if dinner is not eaten. Granted it absolutely drives me up the wall sometimes, cause one time he will eat something, then swear up and down he hates it the next! In case someone hasn't mentioned it, and I will admit I haven't read this thread really closely, kids taste buds are more sensitive than an adults and items such as brussel sprouts, etc. taste really bitter to a lot of them.
Growing up I had to eat what was cooked or go hungry. There wasn't I'll make you something else or fix yourself a PBJ. Either you ate what was fixed or you didn't choice was yours. With that being said and me not having children all I can is how I would attempt to do it at my home. And that would be the same way I was raised. Craig
kdc~ If my Little One doesn't eat dinner either because she just refuses or doesn't like it, I've given in and said that's ok. When she comes back later hungry, depending on how close to bed time it is, she has a choice: yogurt (she likes it) or a piece of fruit. If it's past time for food (too close to bedtime), the choice is: water or nothing. She knows this and will test it occasionally. I'm hoping her father will continue to inforce that rule after the separation. Those dinner rules help to keep the meal time pleasant. Kids do need a structure and consistency in their lives. It helps to develop confidence and security. Frogger
Growing up, if my mother knew one of us didn't like something, they got a tiny bit of it on their plate and was expected to eat it. It it were peas for example, you would get about 10 of them... I hated this growing up, but it was a help for when I got older and went to a boyfriends home for dinner...if their mom was a horrible cook, I could be polite, not make any faces and get through dinner. Plus...some things I hated when I was young, I ended up with a taste for...I really hated beets, asparagus, tomatoes, squash and liver. Now, the only thing I'm not fond of is liver.
I have been reading this thread with great interest and have been impressed with the excellent responses. There's a lot of good parenting going on out there. Strong work, y'all! My 2 cents: Dinner time should be family time and doesn't have to be traumatic. It can be very difficult to get kids to eat healthy foods, but they should never be forced to eat something they don't like. However, rules about dinner which are consistently enforced are good for instilling good habits in your child. A rule that a food must be sampled before deciding you do't like it is a good one. I have reminded my kids of the Green Eggs and Ham story to encourage them to try new foods, with a lot of success. You can also suggest they try a food they haven't tried in awhile because tastes change as children get older. If they don't keep trying the food from time to time, they won't know if / when they start liking it. And kids should learn that the family eats a meal together. Everyone gets what is cooked, no special orders. (I don't see anything wrong with letting a child fix their own sandwich if they can't stand what is served, but I will often ask them what they want before I start cooking, which tends to solve that problem. And I don't cook liver or Brussels sprouts.) Another thing I like to do is get my kids involved in preparing the food. Sometimes they are more motivated to try something if they helped cook it, even if all they do is pour ingredients into the pan. (However, this strategy did not work with my daughter and bacon. She loves to cook it, but won't touch it. Nothing lost there since it's not healthy anyway.) Snacking can be made more healthy by putting out fruits and veges when they are watching TV or playing games. If it's there, they may start eating it without paying too much attention to what it is. Apple slices, celery (but not with my kids!) and carrots work well for this. Finally, eating has always been an important social event for humans. Good rules about dinner often include sitting together, turn off all the TVs, stereos, video games, etc. and talk to each other. (We're not always so good about doing this, but I strive for it.) One area where I tend to fall short is modeling healthy eating. (I love junk food.) Kids will do what you do more often than what you say. If you want them to eat their spinach, don't be sitting there eating cheesecake. Bon appetite, Snuff
Snuff I was with you right up until the 'let them make a sandwich' remark if they don't like whats being served for dinner. LOL! I was just witching with my sister about a child in the family who put up a fuss during a holiday dinner at my dad's house and my step mom actually got up from the FAMILY dinner table to make the little 9 year old **** a freaking hotdog! I swear to God I wanted to slap her and the child's parent for not setting the kid straight. Folks, we are talking about children correct? Yeah, don't traumatize them, but for goodness sake, if there are potatoes, veggies and bread served with the roast pork and the kid don't like pork, them let them be a vegitarian for the night, it won't kill them. They won't starve to death if they miss out on a portion of din-din. Coddling kids is what's wrong with society...kiss their butts and tell them they are wonderful and do everything great, no matter how pitiful they might be at something...wait on them hand and foot to make sure they are never disappointed so they are all ready for real life when they grow up. Wow - the censored word is one that rhymes with word and starts with a t...lmao, you can't say t u r d on 4042? Betcha if we were talking about dogs, 98% of the board would say, if they get hungry enough they'll eat what's served :shock: :lol: :roll:
I understand your point, Zoo. Notice that I didn't say I would jump right up and make the sandwich for the child. I am not advocating spoiling the kid. But this situation can be very difficult, and there are many decent ways to handle it, I'm sure. I don't want to force anyone to eat something she doesn't like (I don't want to be forced to eat certain foods, either); I don't want the child to go hungry; and I don't want to give in to the child's demands for special treatment. The best way I've been able to figure out how to accomplish all of these goals is to say, "You don't like it? OK, you don't have to eat it, but this is what is for dinner tonight. If you're not going to eat it, you'll have to get something on your own." This works with kids who are in the age range mine are in because they can fix a sandwich or nuke a hotdog. That's just the way I like to handle it. Snuff
