Question for parents

[mustangguy289]

start now. don't wait any longer. My kid eats all the weird stuff that I don't like. Hell, he was eatting with us at our fav chinese resturant when he was a year old. That boy loves just about everything. We still fight him (almost 8). but he will at least try stuff.

Mushrooms, tofu, egg rolls, cabbage, brocolli, greenbeans, spinach (yak)......all the things you would think a kid would hate, he eats. He however gives us grief about apples and carrots....and don't even think of making him pudding....he hates that stuff. lol

The real question here is, do YOU like pudding?

[Roscoe]

My kids eat what I cook, or they don't eat at all. ..... unless I know what I've made is way too spicy, then that's the only exception..

Fixed.

[Lason]

We have never done special dinners for one kid. They eat what we eat.

Now, we may do things that we dont like and the kids do. Im not crazy about salsburry steak but my daughter loves it so every once and while we will do that and Ill deal with it. Same for the other kids too.

[GhostTX]

These two ideas are the exact arguments that are going through my head. The only thing making me choose option two is, I know he won't starve himself.

Ya, but you're giving in to the kid with option one.

Option two, the kid is learning daddy is in charge. Believe me, they get hungry enough, they'll eat it. Missing one meal won't stunt their growth.

start now. don't wait any longer. My kid eats all the weird stuff that I don't like. Hell, he was eatting with us at our fav chinese resturant when he was a year old. That boy loves just about everything. We still fight him (almost 8). but he will at least try stuff.

Mushrooms, tofu, egg rolls, cabbage, brocolli, greenbeans, spinach (yak)......all the things you would think a kid would hate, he eats. He however gives us grief about apples and carrots....and don't even think of making him pudding....he hates that stuff. lol

All my kid plow through just about anything now. They'll eat the foods I don't like, too. Somehow along the way, one child developed a distaste for mayonnaise and the other for onions. It's insane how focused his taste on onions is. He can taste and pick out the miniscule pieces in a glob of guacamole!

[jw33]

We have a 3 and 4 year old and it's either eat what we cook or go to bed hungry. Lunch is sometimes different if we are having leftovers, but for the most part they both get it now. And yes we have had screaming fits over getting down from the table to go see Yo Gabba Gabba and then returning to an empty place at the table.

[okiebullitt]

It is important that they eat at that age. If you think about it, its kind of important that you eat at every age.

I have a 3yr old boy, and its hit or miss with him on what he'll eat. BUT we never make him something special just so he'll eat. He eats what we make him or he gets nothing. My wife is a physician and we have had this talk several times, she always replies 'well, you never see a 3yr old starve himself to death.' I guess that makes me the softy but she's right, when he gets hungry, he'll eat.

[stevo]

It is important that they eat at that age. If you think about it, its kind of important that you eat at every age.

I have a 3yr old boy, and its hit or miss with him on what he'll eat. BUT we never make him something special just so he'll eat. He eats what we make him or he gets nothing. My wife is a physician and we have had this talk several times, she always replies 'well, you never see a 3yr old starve himself to death.' I guess that makes me the softy but she's right, when he gets hungry, he'll eat.

This.

Stevo

[Leah]

IDK, I have mixed emotions on this. There are things I don't like and I know my kids don't like-why force them to eat something that they don't like? I certainly wouldn't be happy if someone forced me to eat cauliflower. I fucking hate cauliflower. However, I do believe in setting a routine and expectations.

Some things I make are a little too spicy for my daughter, but everyone else likes it so I let her pick something else on those nights. If it's something I've made before and I know she likes it, she doesn't get a choice.

Kids usually end up balancing their diet out over a course of a week, so I don't usually worry too much about it. With the obesity problem, I don't make them clean their plate either. If they got more than they actually wanted, as long as they ate as much of their veggies as they did the other stuff, I'm good with that. However, if they come back later and they're hungry-they have to finish the meal.

Kids are humans too. They have likes/dislikes and changing hunger patterns. I don't see the need to be all Hitler on them when it comes to meal time.

[ceyko]

Did not read the other posts, but we generally did that as soon as they started eating normal food.

We do make exceptions when sick. We just want them to eat then and we'll feed them whatever - but as soon as fever/sick is gone it's back on to what everyone else is eating.

[Saleen781]

my 4 yr old eats mostly everything but prefers steak, shrimp, tacos and tomatoes. I have never seen a kid like mexican food so damn much. he even eats cold boiled shrimp since he was 2, strange. I agree on them eating the same thing as the parent does but when he's tried something and doesn't like it we give him something else.

[GhostTX]

IDK, I have mixed emotions on this. There are things I don't like and I know my kids don't like-why force them to eat something that they don't like? I certainly wouldn't be happy if someone forced me to eat cauliflower. I fucking hate cauliflower. However, I do believe in setting a routine and expectations.

Some things I make are a little too spicy for my daughter, but everyone else likes it so I let her pick something else on those nights. If it's something I've made before and I know she likes it, she doesn't get a choice.

Kids usually end up balancing their diet out over a course of a week, so I don't usually worry too much about it. With the obesity problem, I don't make them clean their plate either. If they got more than they actually wanted, as long as they ate as much of their veggies as they did the other stuff, I'm good with that. However, if they come back later and they're hungry-they have to finish the meal.

Kids are humans too. They have likes/dislikes and changing hunger patterns. I don't see the need to be all Hitler on them when it comes to meal time.

The OP is more about establishing habits and good practices now at a young age. They won't be making good decisions about their diet that young. As I stated earlier, mine have grown to like nearly everything, but do have foods they don't like which I won't force feed. And this certainly isn't about feeding them foods that you've jacked up.

I'm not about cleaning the plate either. If they're full, they're full. Having said that though, they DON'T get a snack an hour or two later because they were "full" and just wanted to leave the table for whatever reason.

What the OP is all about is: they see a "new" glob of food on the table and refuse to eat it because something tastier in their mind is in the fridge.

[Treasure Chest]

Thats what I did last night. We went back and forth for about 30 minutes until I finally just put the food on the counter and told him he gets nothing else. He went to bed shortly there after.


Also, is it normal for a kid his age to not want to eat alot at dinner. He eats a huge amount at lunch, but has never ate great at night.

If she snacks a bunch during the day or drinks a ton of water, milk, and juice, he won't. I limit the amount of liquids mine get, or they're gorge themselves on milk or water, and won't eat dinner.
There are very few times I've ever felt it's okay to make separate dinners for the kids, unless I'm dieting. I won't make them eat baked fish, brown rice, and broccoli every night, just because I am. My grandfather always said, "I don't run a short-order cafe. If you don't like what's on the menu, go to bed."

[mstng86]

The OP is more about establishing habits and good practices now at a young age. They won't be making good decisions about their diet that young. As I stated earlier, mine have grown to like nearly everything, but do have foods they don't like which I won't force feed. And this certainly isn't about feeding them foods that you've jacked up.

I'm not about cleaning the plate either. If they're full, they're full. Having said that though, they DON'T get a snack an hour or two later because they were "full" and just wanted to leave the table for whatever reason.

What the OP is all about is: they see a "new" glob of food on the table and refuse to eat it because something tastier in their mind is in the fridge.

pretty much spot on, especially the last statement. I am not going to let him think he can choose to eat something else because he thinks it is better than what is in front of him.

If she snacks a bunch during the day or drinks a ton of water, milk, and juice, he won't. I limit the amount of liquids mine get, or they're gorge themselves on milk or water, and won't eat dinner.
There are very few times I've ever felt it's okay to make separate dinners for the kids, unless I'm dieting. I won't make them eat baked fish, brown rice, and broccoli every night, just because I am. My grandfather always said, "I don't run a short-order cafe. If you don't like what's on the menu, go to bed."

I guess I should also add, he can't have milk anymore, it really has messed up his stomach. So he has been drinking Almond milk as a substitute. Since he isn't drinking whole milk, I want him to get something else to substitute some of the nutrients he is losing. We have been giving him vitamins, but I feel like he needs more than just that.

[payne5757]

I had to literally vomit at the table before my grandparents(lived most of my childhood with) stopped making pea casserole for dinner because what was cooked was all you got.

[BradM]

I had to literally vomit at the table before my grandparents(lived most of my childhood with) stopped making pea casserole for dinner because what was cooked was all you got.

I hate peas. Just hearing pea casserole makes me want to throw up.