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6 Food Mistakes Parents Make
At least according to the New York Times this weekend.
A snapshot of the story:
1. Not letting kids help in the kitchen
2. Pushing them to take at least one bite
3. Keeping treats out of reach
4. Dieting in front of kids
5. Offering boring veggies (just steamed, without sauce or something)
6. Giving up to soon.
We definitely push for the one bite - usually saying she'll get more of something else if she takes one bite of something else - usually her meat. Maybe we should rethink that. And we often serve "boring" vegetables - though in my defense my daughter doesn't like sauces mixed with her food - she actually dips her noodles in cheese sauce when we make mac and cheese from the box.
Do you make any of these "mistakes?"
Comments
Hey, if I didn't keep treats out of reach, that's all they'd eat all day!
I think I made a mistake by not pushing my son to at least take one bite of something because now he will eat very few vegetables. In fact, we can get him to drink a small can of V8 every day and he eats beans. That's it for vegetables. I also think that we gave up on him too fast so now we are, in a sense, starting over with trying to get him to eat vegetables.
I don't give my kids a choice. If they don't want to eat it, then they go hungry. If they are hungry enough, they'll eat it. It's funny b/c my parents never gave me a choice growing up and it was just expected that I ate what was on my plate and I've always done the same with my guys. They'll eat anything pretty much. I think I'm a no nonsense mom. I just can't run my house and homeschool and get everything done if I'm catering to every whine and whim.
I love cooking with my eight year old daughter. I DO cringe when she cuts up vegetables, but I've taught her the right way to do it and when she's cutting, I toss out a few warnings (when I can't stand it anymore) :) So far so good. She's actually quite a good help in the kitchen and great company. I was reflecting the other day that I want all three of my kids to know how to cook and how to cook well. It always comes in handy and it's healthier.
:)
Cady
www.cadydidrooms.com
i think my son almost HATES dinner time unless it's a time when I ask him to choose what's for dinner (within reason)... I think i've definitely forced too many things he doesn't like down! Maybe I SHOULD have given up earlier... he doesn't like me very much for it!
Amanda
For things my kids used to absolutely hate (and there are a couple of things), all I asked of them is that they take two "try me" bites. Therefore, they try something new and it's within reason. I think it can sometimes be overwhelming for little kids to eat a pile of something that makes them gag, but I've also found that over time, if they've taken the "try me" bites every time I make that disliked item, they eventually like it.
Now, as I said before, my kids eat almost everything, but it was b/c I did this consistently when they were really young.
Cady
www.cadydidrooms.com