Meals - Foley,MN

I try to fix something my son preferrs from time to time- But we always make him try some of everything that is made for supper- He never gets a snack unless he finishes his supper. Now, from time to time- like If I fix fish, if he tries it and truly doesn't like it- I will fix him a default peanut butter sandwich- but he's to the point that he would rather eat what we are having than to eat peanut butter.

It depends on what I'm making. If it's something I know they don't like too much then I make something to go with it they like. Like for example they don't like curry chicken so I make some rice and flatbread to go with it. Or enchiladas also get some spanish rice with veggies on the side. Otherwise if they don't like what I'm making and make no attempt to try it then too bad, wait for snack. I'm not a restaurant so I shouldn't have to cook more than one meal.

My son will not sleep at night, and will be a horrible bear, if I do not feed him. Having him not eat is not an option in our house. That said...my son is quite suddenly going through a very picky stage. For 6 years, he ate really well. He still eats pretty well, but is much more picky about dinners--he still eats fruits and veggies, meat and dairy...it's well balanced, it's just not MEALS. That said, I've made a deal with him: he needs to stop whining about food, because it impacts his brother in a big way. BUT. If he isn't whiny about what is served, AND tries it--again and again, for foods that he keeps claiming he doesn't like but are staples of our diet (chili, chicken parmesan)--then he gets to supplement his dinner. But he needs to try it and take a few bites first. I justify it this way: I hated OJ with pulp as a kid. My parents made me drink it, and I gagged every day. I still hate OJ with pulp. Moreover, I really can't deal with my son gagging on his meal; that ruins my meal more than him quietly serving himself something else. I have also told him this story: for years, I hated yogurt. I wouldn't eat it. Every couple months, I tried it, because my mom and my sister liked it. I still hated it. Then, after about 10 years, I liked it. I still do. So, he knows that I know full well that your tastes change and you can grow to like something--which is why, every time we serve chili, he gets a small spoonful and is expected to eat a number of bites before declaring that he still does not, in fact, like chili.

Instead of saying yuck teach him to say "no thank you" and have him try at least one bite of each new item. If he doesn't like it then he can say "No thank you" and leave it on the plate. I always fixed one meal for supper, I would have enough dishes that there was always something they liked and they would eat more of that then the things they didn't care for it. When I heard "I don't like it" from them I would answer "I sure hope you like the next meal better so you won't go to long being hungry". I didn't give in and give them something else. They learned really fast that they eat what I fix. My husband was the pickiest eater of them all and he was the one who would mostly say the "I don't like that" giving them a bad example to follow.

I am NOT a short order cook. That being said...here is my credo. Coming from a family where I made dinner for the family growing up, then making my sister something else because she didn't want what I made...then making the other sister something completely different, I decided I would not allow my own kids to pull that.

I make dinner, one dinner, period. I will not make something I know everyone dislikes, but I will not cater to everyone. I main a main course and usualy 2-5 sides. Everyone needs to take at least a small portion of EVERYTHING. Granted if they like corn, the kids get a big portion of that...but they still have a small spooful of peas to eat. If they eat everything on their plate, they can have a treat for dessert, and later snacks if they are hungry between meals. If they do not eat everything on their plate, fine...but no snacks or treats or ANYTHING to eat until the next meal...NO MATTER WHAT. Hungry or not, if you didn't clean your plate you don't get to snack until the next meal. I am fine with them refusing to eat any or all of it, but they get nothing until the next meal no matter what.

It takes a while and a battle or two, but I am so glad we have opted to be harcore on the topic of eating. My kids will try anything. If they don't like it they say "I am not a big fan of that."

We went to my friend's house two weeks ago, and were having lasagna. My friend's son said to mine as he was getting his plate filled, "I thought you didn't like lasagna...why are you taking some?" My son replied, "At my house it doesn't matter if you like it...you eat it or you go hungry...I love your mom's cooking." My friend said "See Nick, (her son) see how good you have it." My son then quipped, "Yeah, Nick, if you were at our house you would starve with your attitude."

My friend actually invites my son over to eat, just to get her kids to try stuff. My son raves about the food she makes, and her kids end up trying it to be cool.

wow..she does all this then gets a snack??...guess im ol school here-eat whats in front of you an be quiet about it-or go hungry-leave the table-sure there are some foods kids just dont like-so dont put on the plate-but if my kids pulled this-they were sent to their room-no snack or desert later...take control...

I would not cook something separate unless you know for a fact your child does not like what you made. My son has to eat at least most of his dinner or he gets no snacks at all. If its something new he has to at least try it or no snacks. If he is just being stubborn and not wanting to eat that is his choice, but if he askes for a snack later he knows he wont get one unless he wants to eat his dinner first. It works well and my son is only 3. If i make something he really does not like then i give him options of what he can have. If the other kids arent eating because he says yuk, then no one gets a snack or dessert later. I dont know how old your child is but maybe start working with them on not saying yuk.

I've just always told my son that "people like different things".

My son's favorite food for YEARS was broccoli. One day he came home from preschool with his favorite lunch (Pene alfredo with roasted chicken and broccoli) untouched, because the other kids said it was gross. Which is what spurred this discussion, and for some time we made a game of figuring out things one person liked but another didn't. The BEST one, is that one of his besties doesn't like cake. Can't stand it. That doesn't make cake disgusting. It just means it's disgusting for his FRIEND.

It's kind of a fun game. Especially when you get a bunch of people involved in it.

(He started eating broccoli again from that moment onward, and "educated" his friends about it if someone made a comment about any of his food. "People like different things, and that's okay." Proud mama moment!)

We DO have a "house rule" , however, that if ANYONE doesn't like what a meal is they are *welcome* to make a sammie or have a bowl of cereal. This rule is practical, I'm an adventerous cook, and sometimes all THREE of us have had sammies for dinner after a cooking disaster. But regardless, the option in open. I remember years of "I cooked it, you eat it, you ungrateful thing" type comments from my mum. Really? So if I made something SHE hated she'd have to eat it and be grateful? I think not. People like different things. That's okay with me. We're not starving, so there's no reason to live like we are. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean rudeness is tolerated an iota. Making faces, disrespect, nope! Huh-uh! SOOOOOO not allowed. Not liking something isn't disrespectful, going on and on about it is. Make a sammie. No big deal, no hurt feelings.

First, I think that saying yuk is disrespectful and I won't tolerate that from my kids. There are more polite ways of saying that -- "I don't care for that", "I don't think I like this", etc. If it's something they haven't tried before, that is often a first reaction. My kids have to at least try it if they haven't seen it before. I do not make them anything special and encourage them to eat everything else that if offered at that meal.

I have three children all range from age 5 to age 9. They all are different in what they eat such as one eats just about anything while a second mainly likes fruit and veg, yet the third child is very picky. I serve a meal with different food variety each night with one thing I know they all will eat. If one child does not like it I place a tiny bit on their plate and encourage them to try it, most of the time they wont. If they dont like it they just ignore it and say no thank you when I remind them to try it. (It takes a while to get this far for them to be polite about it!) If they throw a fit remind them that they dont know they like it until they try it and dont push the issue too far, if anything remind them to say no thank you instead of getting upset over it. I have read in a parenting magazine it takes a person or child 10 times of trying something before they really know if they like it or not so keep introducing a wide variety of foods for them! Good luck!-