Okay, I'm Seriously Tired Of This!

[nannyde]

I love mealtime. Next to having newborns, it's my fave part of child care.

My kids LOVE food. They eat everything in site. It's very rare for me to throw away a teaspoon of food. They clean their bowls with their bread to get every smackerel of it.

I don't do any kiddie food. I like them to have "Sunday Dinner" meals every day.

I think one of the reasons all my kids eat so well is because they eat shortly after they walk together. They walk as a pack, come back and cool down for a few minutes, help each other get off their outdoor gear, and then eat together. Just like a pack of wolves By the time they eat they are hungry and thirsty. They don't have any idea of not doing things as a GROUP or a whole.

The "pack" mentality in combo with good solid home made meat and potatoes meals make for a stable group of kids. Once they have a belly full they play and poop. Then they go down together for a rest.

If you keep the "pack" together they will do everything together. Eat, sleep, play.. together.

If I had one that didn't want to eat I would NOT make them sit with the pack. I don't want unstable behavior at the table. I would WANT them to come be with us but I wouldn't want them to be there unwillingly.

NO drama at meals. NONE..... If they don't like something... so be it. If they want more.... so be it. If they are unhappy they can get up and play. There's no bribing or consequences if they don't eat. No energy goes to that. Just okay.. and off they go.

My kids don't do this because they don't want to be apart from the others. They don't see themselves as one kid... they see themselves as a part of the group... part of the whole.

[Evansmom]

My dcks are just like the OPs. So I don't think yours are weird. I used to throw away a ton of food each week and I am not on a food program so that all comes out of pocket. I have found though that the more involved or "fancy" meals that I make the more likely they are all to throw it out. So I serve simple, real food (not processed) that I like to call my "deconstructed meals" and it seems to go over quite well.

For example I used to make what I thought looked like a yummy casserole with ground turkey meat, egg noodles and veggies but NO ONE would touch it. So instead I now serve them all seperate, ground turkey meat, egg noodles and veggies with fruit on the side. Little ones gobble it right up! As long as I follow that rule there is little wasted food. I change up the meats and grains and sometimes we have hard boiled eggs instead of meat. It's boring but healthy and so I don't complain, I just eat some of the veggies with them and then eat my own lunch later.

And I agree totally with nannyde. NO DRAMA at my table. If someone wants to eat more or not eat at all I don't blink an eye. Easiest way to set yourself up for problems is to make a power struggle out of eating.

[mac60]

I have been struggling with 3 kids lately, and I am really getting sick of their attitude and their wastefullness. I serve lunch, not a 5 course meal. There was a day when I went all out for lunch, not any more. Food is way too expensive to put on someones plate only to throw it in the trash. I am the same as Bentleys Bands, it is the parents responsibility to feed a big supper, not mine, I feed them lunch. I was raised that supper/dinner is the big meal of the day, not lunch.

[SilverSabre25]

Okay, so I just have to share this irony, since it's along the same vein as this thread yesterday. The 2 yo dcb who only eats a tiny variety of things? Well, he has no problem trying any number of foods...so long as they're plastic! I'm said no less than five times in the past 20 minutes, "B, no mouth!" (or, "B, no nose!") as he puts various items of play food in his mouth or nose... *sigh*

The cynical side of me says that this is partially due to the make up of food he gets at home...

(and yes, the words, "B, don't put the fork up your nose!" did just come out of my mouth...:confused

[SandeeAR]

Okay, so I just have to share this irony, since it's along the same vein as this thread yesterday. The 2 yo dcb who only eats a tiny variety of things? Well, he has no problem trying any number of foods...so long as they're plastic! I'm said no less than five times in the past 20 minutes, "B, no mouth!" (or, "B, no nose!") as he puts various items of play food in his mouth or nose... *sigh*

The cynical side of me says that this is partially due to the make up of food he gets at home...

(and yes, the words, "B, don't put the fork up your nose!" did just come out of my mouth...:confused

I have a 3 y/o, that when I first purchased the basket of plastic food, spent 10 minutes every day, lifting her shirt and sticking each piece of fruit/veggie, in her belly button and then in the basket. She did this to each and every piece about 3 times and then was done.::

[SilverSabre25]

I have a 3 y/o, that when I first purchased the basket of plastic food, spent 10 minutes every day, lifting her shirt and sticking each piece of fruit/veggie, in her belly button and then in the basket. She did this to each and every piece about 3 times and then was done.::

that made me ::

[thecrazyisout]

I just hide things in foods that the children LOVE...I also serve them as a side to make sure they know to try somethings new....For example, in my spaghetti, I puree butternut squash into the sauce, or I make grilled cheese with pureed cauliflower and cheddar cheese. I then spread it on whole grain bread and yummy food for the kids...their sides are still veggies like some broccoli with ranch, but I think once the children grow accustomed to your ways their palettes begin to change too.

I always have a meal during the week where the kids have to try something new like stir fry, or a new recipe I made....the other day I made a pasta sauce and improvised and thought it was gross, but the kids came back for three helpings...so wierd.

Good luck and I hope it gets better....

[nannyde]

I just hide things in foods that the children LOVE...I also serve them as a side to make sure they know to try somethings new....For example, in my spaghetti, I puree butternut squash into the sauce, or I make grilled cheese with pureed cauliflower and cheddar cheese. I then spread it on whole grain bread and yummy food for the kids...their sides are still veggies like some broccoli with ranch, but I think once the children grow accustomed to your ways their palettes begin to change too.

I always have a meal during the week where the kids have to try something new like stir fry, or a new recipe I made....the other day I made a pasta sauce and improvised and thought it was gross, but the kids came back for three helpings...so wierd.

Good luck and I hope it gets better....

Crazy... you crazy ::

I do the same.

My kids will eat ANYTHING. They love love love puree. The bigger kids love it the most.

Today they had a tomator based lamb stew with rice, spinach, and acorn squash puree and applesauce puree on the side.

Didn't throw a teaspoon away!!!!!!!!!! I had to take a scraper to the bowl to give thirds to a two year old.

[jojosmommy]

My kids are good eaters. I use the line, "no, I think that is enough or your tummy is going to hurt" everyday! And yes sometimes that is because my wallet is hurting from 3 helpings of *** but oh well. I know they are all fed well and I mix in a few unknown foods to keep them trying new things every once and a while.

[MsMe]

my life inmproved dramatictly when my lunch times became NO DRAMA. I have a 4yrs that up untill 6mo ate everything in sight. now super picky. It is a litel lucky that the things she still likes are veggis. I give him a small portion of everything and LARGE searving a veggies. I ask him to take one bite of the other foods on his plate. He either does right away or he starts to cry....as soon as the tears come I tell him its fine you maybe excused from the table and he is happy to leave. Mom and I discussed that I will not force him to eat, this will be our routine and if he eats more or less i will let her know.

He sometimes skips snacks too.


Only once have I made him something different and it was bc he hadnt eaten with me or at home in nearly four days