I Don’t get some parents…if this is you…sorry
I was at my parent’s house last night for dinner. My kids came in with a friend and we said she was more than welcome to stay. I told her, “Hey, just get what you like and if you don’t like it you don’t have to eat it.” No big deal.
Somehow, it came up again. I don’t know, I guess I just wanted her to know that she didn’t have to eat the peas she served herself if she didn’t want to. I went on to tell her that if my kids don’t like something, they usually don’t have to eat it. And, if they get full before their plate is “clean” then I guess they got full, but I know they’ll be hungry in about an hour. It’s the law of a little stomach. Sue me.
I remember once when my oldest was little I had made her a peanut butter and jelly for lunch and, well, she didn’t like it. Now, she cut her baby teeth on PBJ’s and it didn’t make sense to me that she didn’t want it, so I told her to go ahead and eat it. Soon enough, she was gagging.
I felt sheepish.
Food, for me is just not something I really give rat’s patooty about. I mean, its ONE peanut butter and jelly. Shoot, I have to eat eggs everyday for breakfast, but I never finish them because the time I get to the end, it’s all I can do to get them down. *gag*
Back to the little girl visiting for dinner. She told me that her dad always makes her finish what she’s ordered if they go out. And, if she is at his house she has to finish what’s on her plate, even if she doesn’t like it. What’s that all about?? I mean, if he is at a restaurant, orders food and doesn’t like it, does he finish it? What’s the big deal about cleaning your plate anyway? Why force her to eat something she doesn’t like. Does he eat things he doesn’t like? Doubt it.
If you can’t tell, it burns me up. My mom was not a food stickler so I’m sure that’s where I get it.
Now, before you give me the run-around, I have had my “food battles” with my kids. Those nights where they didn’t eat much for dinner, but want cereal before bed. Yeah, yeah. Know what I do? I tell them they have about 2.6 minutes to slam down some toast before they go to sleep. If they don’t each much dinner, I tell them, “Hey, this is dinner. If you get hungry later, warm it up.” Sometimes they do, usually they don’t. Leftovers for tomorrow, I say.
In the grand scheme of things, I just don’t understand why parents make their kids cry at the table, not let them grab a quick snack before bed, or why they make such a big fat hairy deal if the kid doesn’t like what they ordered. I get it, we all have “table” issues, but honestly, I think there are parents who are way out of line.
Lighten up on the food. Be more passionate about character.
Okay, I’m going to go wake my kids up and see if they want some ice cream.
i recently realized my aversion to red meat stems to bad table memories from childhood. there were many nights i was left in the kitchen alone (in the dark) until i finished my london broil. i’d sit there crying, drowning every bite in ketchup and still struggling through it.
and as an adult, i never choose red meat. i’ll eat it if someone else makes it, but that’s about it.
and i’ve never EVER eaten london broil again.
thanks, mom.
I’m with you on this one. My kids know they need to have SOMETHING healthy if they have any hopes of dessert, but they don’t have to clean their plates. Actually most the time I am encouraging them to stop when full. We try our best to make food a non issue. Let’s make diner together a possitive family time. That’s more important!
LOVE IT!
I learned the hard way about the food wars. When I cleaned a bunch of peas out from under my oldests pillow. She’s a stubborn one! One bite – that’s all I ask. Try it. If you don’t like it, that’s o.k. But at least you tried it!
I agree with you but we were brought up the way that little girl’s Dad is doing, so therefore I’m the opposite with my children. The only thing I stick to is they can’t fill up on sugar and junk later if they refused a meal, but the ‘heat it up later’ rule is the easiest and most useful I find. Why should they be hungry for a meal just because I am? Actually they are usually hungry for meals three times as often as me, but maybe we won’t go there!
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