Wednesday, May 27, 2009

A few more things I didn't mention...

I had a few questions in my FB inbox today I thought I should address before I got to the laundry. One of the questions was "How do I get your kids to eat all that stuff? Mine only eat chicken nuggets and mac n cheese." This really is a pet peeve of mine that parents become short order cooks when they have children. I have never and will never make a seperate meal for them. If they are hungry they will eat what is served. I completely feel like if you don't expose them to other foods then of course they will only eat the junk if you serve it to them. I get so upset when we invite people over and they ask me what the children will eat. My children eat what they are served and I feel this is why I get such wonderful feedback when they go places without me. I have had so many compliments that my child will eat what is served at friends house where as other children come over and say "I don't eat that" or "That's gross". I teach my children to be respectful and eat what someone else has taken the time to prepare for them. Be thankful! I do not expect them to like everything, but they will be respectful about it. My Bubby as a matter of fact does not like vegetables at all. But before he is allowed to down his milk he must at least try them. He is the only one who does not always like what I serve, but he knows that if he doesn't eat it there will not be anything served after dinner so nine times out of ten he will at least try. I also believe they eat what they are served because I have always fed them this way. As soon as they turned a year and could eat table food they ate what we ate just cut up really small. I also do not bribe them with dessert in order to get them to eat their veggies. This really leads to so many other problems. When we go out or are at friends houses they are allowed to splurge on their "junk" likes. And you know what they usually choose the milk over the soda and juices and they choose the fruit cup, apple slices or yogurt over the french fries at fast food places. Not me of course I love the fries and given the chance to eat the junk I would take it. But we eat so good the other parts of our life I feel we deserve a splurge here and there. Anyway off of my soap box I just wanted to say let them try it. Of course if you only serve hot dogs and chicken nuggetts than that is what they will like. Expose them to a variety and you might be surprised. Give them options and let them choose the veggie for the night. And make what you like for them to try on another night. It's a give and take like any other battle we will face as parents.

1 comment:

  1. Hey- Love your blog!

    Is it to late to start this with a 2 1/2 year old? I promised myself I would not have the fried-food eating child, and I didn't until about 8 months ago and my 2nd was born and my hubby went to work evenings... I didn't cook anything and just threw dinner together...

    Anyway, i want to start letting her eat what I make, but will she go to bed hungry if she doesn't eat it?

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