Dinner Battles

[KAMKIM]

Do you make your kids eat what you made, and do you make them finish everything on their plate?

 

[mtemm]

no to finishing everything, yes to trying everything, at least 3 bites. I make sure that there are some foods at dinner that they like for sure when I try something new or make something that isn't a favorite.

 

[Deb Quen of Colorado]

I have my kids take 1 no thank you bite of new foods. No one has to clean their plate and I don't expect them to like everything I make. But I do try to have at least 1 thing on the table I know will go over well if I am trying new stuff out.

 

[eeyore65]

Yes to eat what I make. No to finishing. I do try to make things that I think everyone will like. So I have a list of things that DH and DS won't eat. Luckily, I will eat almost anything. If he really didn't like it - he may get some fruit or cereal later as a snack.

 

[Stitchnut]

It depends. When my kids were toddlers, there were certain dinners I made because the adults enjoyed them, but not the kids. So they had a choice to try the dinner or ask for a pb&j sandwich before we sat down for dinner. Now that they are older, they are asked to eat what we all have and to try something new/different. I use to tell them that along with their bodies growing and changing, so too are their tastebuds. That they needed to challenge their tastebuds once in a while to see if they were growing older along with their bodies. My son said once, "Mom, my tastebuds must be maturing because I can now swallow green vegetables." He thinks it's funny now that he is older. He likes to try a lot of new foods and looks forward to going out for dinner. My goal was to try never to make meals a battle of the wills.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I do not make them clean their plates, no.

I usually made our oldest (he's sixteen now and will eat pretty much anything) at least try what I fixed.

My youngest has some sensory issues and food is difficult for him. If he can get past the smell, I encourage him to at least try it, but often he can't without gagging.

 

[bethbuchall]

No to both questions. They do know that when they are eating a meal that someone else has made that they have to eat what is put before them politely. The host should never know that they don't like it. It has worked out well for our family.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I make one meal. My kids have to try everything. If they do not like it they do not have to eat it. They usually will eat just about anything. They are great eaters since we have always given them all sorts of food.
ETA- They do not have to clean their plates. They eat until they are satisfied.

 

[brockash]

Yes, they have to eat what I make.- I won't be making anything special for them, generally speaking. They don't have to finish every last bite, but they do have to eat a good amount of dinner to get any kind of snack later.

 

[luvsJack]

No and no. They only have to taste whatever it is and if they don't like it they are welcome to make themselves something else. I don't make it, but they can. I will not eat something I do not like or something I just don't like the look of and I am not about to make them do it. Meal time battles lead to too many other problems. Both my sons are grown, healthy and now eat anything that is not nailed down.

 

[Magic Mom]

Do you make your kids eat what you made, and do you make them finish everything on their plate?

I make them try new things, but if they don't like it that's OK, they don't have to eat it. I'm not a short order cook though. What's on the table is what's for dinner. Don't like it then don't eat, or feel free to make yourself a PB&J.

 

[JVL1018]

For the most part yes to eating what I made and no to finishing in general.
They must eat their vegetables becuase I only give them the minimum I want them to have.
Meat, they need a few bites of, but if they don't want to finish that's fine. Starchy sides, I don't make them eat at all if they choose not to(my son doesn't eat potatoes, and I never hassle him to eat them).

I think the only thing I make that I don't make my kids eat is fajitas. They did not like it, period.
I make them quesidillas with the cheese and tortillas I'm using so I'm not making a whole separate dinner.
My daughter started recently eating the chicken fajitas so it's just my son now I have to make the quesidilla for.

 

[Darcy03231]

My children are all older now and will pretty much eat anything. When they were younger they had to try new foods, but I didn't make them eat something they didn't like. They were welcome to make themselves a sandwich or have cereal.

When they were little the wouldn't even try lobster and I made hotdogs for them when DH and I had them. I can't get away with that anymore.

 

[Pigeon]

I make one entree with a few sides. I try not to make things that the kids find horrible, but neither do I cater to them. They can eat it or not eat it, but there are no alternatives if they decide not to eat.

There's never been much fuss on either side, and they are, as a result, good eaters.

 

[diznygirl]

Yes, they eat what I make, but I make things I know they like. No, I don't make them finish everything. They eat until they are full and then stop.

 

[C.Ann]

Yes - but my kids weren't picky eaters so there weren't really any battles..

They also finished what was on their plates because I always dished out small portions to start them off with.. Usually they asked for seconds..

Growing up, I had to eat everythng and clean my plate - no exceptions to the rule.. I was raised in an Italian family and it was considered an "insult" to turn down any food that was put in front of you.. My parents made very healthy meals though, so cleaning ones plate was never an issue that might have led to obesity..

 

[SAHDad]

If I am making something new, I will also make something familiar and liked, so they don't go completely hungry. Beyond that, I stopped being a short order cook, so they get what I make.

They don't have to finish everything on their plates, but I will do the "You have to have X many more bites before you may be excused" routine. And while we were at F&W festival last week, I told my son that he had to try at least one new food item per day. He only had to take a bite or two, but he had to try something new.

 

[It'sWDW4me]

My son knows by now that he must at least give it an honest tasting (no itty, bitty nibble followed by "no, I don't like it") and if he doesn't like it he can eat cereal or a sandwich. This is for the first time I make something only, though. If he liked it and ate it multiple times in the past but just doesn't want it tonight - too bad, this is what I made and this is what you'll eat.

I definitely do not make him clean the plate but, again, depending on what was made, if he doesn't eat a decent dinner he's not getting snacks later.

 

[mjkacmom]

I ask they try it, and they don't have to eat it if they don't like it (I don't want to eat something I don't like ). If they're done eating, they may be excused - their bodies are pretty good about deciding when they are no longer hungry (ds6 is done within minutes, dd6 about 1/2 hour - she eats VERY slowly, but enjoys the food). You may have dessert (usually an ice pop) regardless of whether you ate 3 bites of potato, or 2 servings of everything. Food here is not a reward, nor a punishment.

 

[disykat]

My boys had to try everything without fussing. If they did so, there were no food wars and they didn't have to clean their plate. They were allowed to snack later or even get up and make themselves a sandwich to make up for the stuff they had politely tasted but prefered not to eat.

If they fussed or refused to try something, they were dismissed from the table and their plate got put in the fridge and they were required to eat that before eating anything else that night.

My goal was more about fussing at the table than getting them to eat.

In addition, everyone was allowed ONE food that I never made them touch. Ever. (One of my kids chose cauliflower, and the other chose pizza - go figure.)

When we were away from home they never had to try anything unfamiliar due to allergies. We worked on polite refusal, no fussing, etc. instead.