Dads making kids eat....

[Ron Dunn]

underfoot, the spaghetti mess is a GREAT idea My daughter would love it.

[AlexS]

I would NEVER use the spaghetti idea with my kids.
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....but for the grand child, at the daughter's place....great idea.

As for forcing kids to eat stuff they don't like, what's the point? By rejecting stuff like pumpkin and cabbage, they are showing good taste. Pumpkin should only ever be fed to cattle, and cabbage is best used as compost.

[silentC]

I am a dinner table Nazi.

My son likes to sit half a mile back from the table and drop food all over the floor, so every night I get up him about it. "Pull your chair right in, hold your mouth over your plate when you eat so if you drop anything, it goes on the plate and not on the floor". He's starting to get the idea now, but only after years of badgering him about it.

[tea lady]

Tee-hee-he. Lots of good advice here. I'll just stress out less about his stressing out. Seems it hasn't done you lot any harm.

[Lignin]

T.L.,
There's nothing more pleasant than sharing a table with diners with at least SOME table manners, and nothing less enjoyable than sharing with those with no manners.
I'm an old fuddy-duddy when it comes to table manners.

[rotten_66]

Tried the starving kids thing in Africa with the seven year old. At the end of the unfinished meal, he went and got an envelope and suggested that I could always post it to them.

Do you think any court in the world would have convicted me if I had done my first reaction which was to, {Quote from my mother "i'll knock you into the middle of next week"}, or just laugh?? Which is what we all did.

He loves his vegies especially raw if he can pick them himself but won't touch them if they are cooked!

Will try Underfoots spag bol suggestion, but will wait until summer too cold to try to hose them off.

[Johncs]

My father did it . i did it and i hope my daughter does it as well.

it is part of teaching kids to eat everything on their plate and not be fussy.

I am very proud of the fact that when we go to someones place they eat whatever is dished up and never leave anything. Also they dont ask for certain thngs to be left off.

I have a lot of my kids freinds come here, when you ask them if they want to stay for tea they either leave half of the meal on their plate or when you are dishing it up they say i dont have peas, carrots, pumpkin or something like that.

it is only by making/teaching them to eat the lot that they learn that whatever is dished up to them should be eaten and appreciated.

Generally, the correct amount to eat is "enough." I don't excuse picky eaters, the meal served should be well-balanced and enough for the person's needs.

If too much is served, it's a waste. If too much is eaten, it's worse, it goes to waist.

If visiting friends, "It was very nice, thank you, but I really cannot eat any more."

If course, it follows if main was too much, there desert is not possible.


ps
If "the kids in Ethiopia are starving, send them the rest of the meal."

[pugwash]

A friend of mine has kids who won't eat vegetables, especially if they are green
He finally got his kids to eat their greens by telling them it was Shrek food!

[jerryc]

I have to confess I was a "eat what's put in front of you "nazi. The biggest test was brussell sprouts. Kids got their own back one day. We had a goat which we used for clearing the blackberry. One day it escaped from it's tether and made straight for the veggie garden. More than that, it loved brussell sprouts. I had to admit seeing the funny side as the kids cheered the goat on. Made me think a bit.
As for table manners and eating what's put in front of you, one of my son in law's was a great example. My wife is a great cook and loves good fresh vegetables. Prospective son in law came to dinner and ate all before him. Wife hates anyone going hungry and offered more generous helpings, which he ate. This went on for a few times before my daughter took mum aside and said boy friend hates carrots but was too polite to say so.

Jerry

[masoth]

My eldest brother was visiting and ate with us - he noticed I would not mix together the different items on my plate and he couldn't resist the urge to "have a go" at me (verbally). I got up and threatened to put his dessert on the main course plate in front of him. Double standards are a curse, aren't they?

soth

[Lignin]

Jerry, your S-I-L is obviously a gentleman!!
My only experience of this was, as a schoolboy, staying at a friend's house and being offered a "real treat", lambs fry and bacon for breakfast.I can't stand liver, but, being aware of my manners (?!) I knew I had to eat it.I had to slice it into minute pieces and swallow it whole, as chewing it made me gag.
I now tell my host and hostess is I don't eat something rather than embarrass us both, but I've got a bit of age on my side now!

[MICKYG]

I always eat all my crusts and I have grey air and it is mostly straight. so the advice was BS when i was a kid and I did as my nanna said.



Regards Mike

[dai sensei]

I love this thread, makes me laugh and brings back memories

... part of teaching kids to eat everything on their plate and not be fussy

My ol man's saying was "sit up, shut up, and eat up"

My son likes to sit half a mile back from the table and drop food all over the floor

I remember trying that as a kid, it didn't work, the ol man still made me eat it off the floor

[silentC]

I'd do that too but it would deprive poor old Jack of a meal

[glenn k]

I know one DH (well I have met him a few times) who will not eat vegies at all except pizza?. I wish his dad had forced him to eat everything.
My wife told me they had a fellow at the hospital who was looking at having both his legs removed because off bad diet. He said he had never eaten vegetables and wasn't going to start now. Their parents get a fail. There is a lot more at stake than manners.