This is what I did with my kid… after the divorce. Before the divorce she did the “stay at the table till you’ve cleared the plate”, etc.
I wasn’t raised that way, and I didn’t agree with it, but she insisted.
I’m glad I got divorced, it was such a relief. I’m probably not supposed to admit that out loud, but it’s true. To be clear, this wasn’t the reason we got divorced, it just irked me.
This is the best baseline or starting point, but in practice it’s never that simple. There’s so much intertwined with the whole thing that there just aren’t simple answers for every child or family.
I feel like this happened to my kid by accident. We always try new foods, especially international food, and I’ve always been very honest. I’m a picky eater, I have him try things but he has no obligation to eat it, or even like it. Rule is we only take what we think we’ll eat, even if we’re starving, we get a little, eat it and get seconds instead of possibly wasting it.
Even with items like donuts, we cut them in half or quarters, this way we don’t waste and can try multiple flavors. I let him know if things are spicy or not, or we find out together. I’ve never steered him wrong in that regard and he knows I don’t fuck around with food. He’s a great kid and am lucky to have such a person.
We watch our cousins take large portions, take a bite or two and essentially trash it saying they’re full. We don’t pull that bullshit. Fucker will take the last Boston cream donut and throw it away.
Wastage is a problem. My way around that is to put very little food in for myself. If the kids don’t finish their food then I eat it. If they do finish their food then I go for seconds of the normal grown up food. Sometimes it turns into an insane meal of spicy curry and rice, 2 fish fingers from one kid and the other kid’s bland pasta and veg… but I’m ok with eating random stuff like that for my dinner. I think this keeps us to being a pretty low waste house despite the kids.
I can’t fill one wheelie bin with trash in 2 weeks. My cousin and his 3 kids would fill 2 wheelie bins with trash every single week. The amount of food thrown straight into the bin astounded me.
Real talk though…
Here’s the best way to make a child eat: don’t.
Adults get to decide for food: what, when and where.
Children get to decide: if, and how much, and which parts.
Respect the choices and they’ll start taking responsibility for the choices. Encourage and support and then back off.
This is what I did with my kid… after the divorce. Before the divorce she did the “stay at the table till you’ve cleared the plate”, etc.
I wasn’t raised that way, and I didn’t agree with it, but she insisted.
I’m glad I got divorced, it was such a relief. I’m probably not supposed to admit that out loud, but it’s true. To be clear, this wasn’t the reason we got divorced, it just irked me.
This is the best baseline or starting point, but in practice it’s never that simple. There’s so much intertwined with the whole thing that there just aren’t simple answers for every child or family.
I feel like this happened to my kid by accident. We always try new foods, especially international food, and I’ve always been very honest. I’m a picky eater, I have him try things but he has no obligation to eat it, or even like it. Rule is we only take what we think we’ll eat, even if we’re starving, we get a little, eat it and get seconds instead of possibly wasting it.
Even with items like donuts, we cut them in half or quarters, this way we don’t waste and can try multiple flavors. I let him know if things are spicy or not, or we find out together. I’ve never steered him wrong in that regard and he knows I don’t fuck around with food. He’s a great kid and am lucky to have such a person.
We watch our cousins take large portions, take a bite or two and essentially trash it saying they’re full. We don’t pull that bullshit. Fucker will take the last Boston cream donut and throw it away.
But Boston Creams are AMAZING!!!
Wastage is a problem. My way around that is to put very little food in for myself. If the kids don’t finish their food then I eat it. If they do finish their food then I go for seconds of the normal grown up food. Sometimes it turns into an insane meal of spicy curry and rice, 2 fish fingers from one kid and the other kid’s bland pasta and veg… but I’m ok with eating random stuff like that for my dinner. I think this keeps us to being a pretty low waste house despite the kids.
Yeah I do similar with eating his. It drives me nuts watching the cousins throw shit away, literally 1 bite out of a sandwich.
I can’t fill one wheelie bin with trash in 2 weeks. My cousin and his 3 kids would fill 2 wheelie bins with trash every single week. The amount of food thrown straight into the bin astounded me.
Absolutely. Also, forcing your child to eat or sit at the table all night is abuse.