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Battle of the breakfast

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grannyactivist Tue 16-Dec-14 12:18:39

I'm staying with my daughter for a couple of weeks to help out with children as my grandson's school finishes stupidly early for the Christmas holidays and her work does not. Yesterday daughter gave grandson (aged almost 5) weetabix for breakfast and then he decided he didn't want it. The usual pattern is for him to then mess about until his mother (who is rushing to leave for work) loses patience and tells him he can leave the table without eating what he's been given. However, I intervened and told him that his mummy was going to work and having asked specifically for weetabix he could jolly well sit at the table until it was eaten. Daughter looked at my (scowling) face and told GS that "Granny's in charge" and scootled off to work. There really should have been High Noon music playing in the background as battle lines were drawn. I explained to grandson that because he'd asked for weetabix and because I know he likes it that he would have to stay at the table until it was eaten. He explained that he really didn't want it so he wasn't going to eat it. No fuss, no tantrums; just two implacable wills facing off over the breakfast table. After an hour of sitting at the table grandson said he might eat a little bit of it if it had some more sugar; I gave him a little more sugar. He ate one spoonful. An hour later he said he might eat a little bit of it if it had some more milk; I gave him a little more milk. He ate one spoonful. Then later still he said he might eat a little bit of it if it was warm; I nuked it in the microwave for a few seconds. He ate two spoonfuls. All this time he was quite happily sitting at the table humming to himself and chattering (I was mostly in the next room listening to him and now and again calling out encouragement to him to eat up) and a couple of times he got down to go to the loo. At about five to twelve he finally called me to say that he was going to eat his weetabix - and he did!!! For the rest of the day his behaviour was superb; lovely manners, lots of "I love you Granny"'s and he was a joy to be with.
This morning he asked for porridge for breakfast and told me that he was definitely going to eat it all up straight away - and he did! tchsmile
I wonder where other grandmothers have drawn the line - and what was the result?

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Juliette Sat 20-Dec-14 22:37:21

Choice was the worst thing that happened within school meals in my opinion. The school I worked in introduced the cafeteria system and went from serving a healthy well balanced meal each day with chips offered very much as a treat, to serving chips with everything and I do mean everything. The staff on duty in the dining room and the dinner ladies all tried really hard to encourage the children to try the healthy options but in the main it fell on deaf ears. The majority of children between the ages of 5 and 11 would appear to like burgers and chips. Well what a surprise!!

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crun Sun 21-Dec-14 15:16:54

I used to be quite picky when I was a child, but I grew out of it. I was never made to eat anything if I really didn't want it, I don't know why, perhaps my dad was glad that his son didn't have to go hungry the way he had. I never saw my father leave food except when he was dying. When we stayed with family there was a really frosty atmosphere if I left food, my cousin's husband would tell me how his mum would take food away if he left it, and then put it back on the table again at the next mealtime. That went on until he ate it.

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granjura Sun 21-Dec-14 16:09:18

In the early 70s, I just could not believe it when my next door neighbour gave all her 3 boys a choice every evening. They would walk into the kitchen, 1 at a time, and she would ask them what they wanted. Egg and chips, sausage and chips, baked beans on toast, etc. she would then cook it and give it to them one at a time and they would go and eat it on their lap in front of the telly. Her OH would not eat anything without chips- she even made spagetti bolognese... with chips.

At home when I was a kid, we always ae together at the table and we certainly never had a choice- although I was never forced to eat liver or kidneys- as I just could not- the smell would make me heave. Must say I am hugely impressed with DD1 and sil and the fact GC are not given a choice- but have a limited list of 5 foods they can refuse (see previous post)- they have a really healthy diet and eat a huge variety.

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