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Children don't hear the word 'no' often enough

(89 Posts)
nigglynellie Fri 11-Aug-17 12:47:58

I don't think anyone should be made to eat anything that they genuinely dislike. DD absolutely hates fruit in any shape or form apart from banana. This became obvious as a tiny baby refusing fruit juice, later fruit puddings, oranges, apples everything! she was ideal to take fruit picking as,unlike the rest of us she didn't eat the smallest raspberry!!! We never ever made an issue of this, and people were briefed if we went out for meals. Now in early middle age nothing has changed so it is clearly a genuine dislike!
I have/had few dislikes!! but the odd one or two,broad beans, poached egg on yellow fish, a favourite of my parents! I was never forced to eat anything that I genuinely disliked and I have been the same with my own two

goldengirl Fri 11-Aug-17 12:33:24

I'm afraid my GC know the meaning of 'no'!!! And hence I'm often called 'Grumpy Gran' but they still want to visit though I have to be honest and say it's mainly Grandad they want until they fall over or something like that!

MaizieD Fri 11-Aug-17 12:17:17

Not 'eject' (though they might...) reject

MaizieD Fri 11-Aug-17 12:16:27

l agree with no snacks 20 minutes before a meal and I also agree with not forcing a child to eat food that they have tried and don't like.

I was incredibly fussy as a child; it must have been really hard for my mum who had lived through wartime rationing and food scarcity. In her eyes wasting food or refusing to eat things was just wrong. But she was very good and didn't force me. I'll eat just about anything now (as long as it's properly cooked). I think you have to offer a child a wide range of foods and not make an issue of it if they eject things from time to time.

I think the article is just one in a long historical tradition of criticising 'the younger generation'. I wouldn't pay it too much attention.

rosesarered Fri 11-Aug-17 12:03:14

It's not just about food though is it? the treating of children as little Princes/Princesses will come back to bite many parents on the rear in years to come.
In any case, children are happier and feel safer with boundaries and some discipline.

glammanana Fri 11-Aug-17 12:00:04

My DGSs partner the mother of my GGD has fed the baby all manner of foods since she was 8mths old and gives her opinion that babies are born with no dislikes at all and that some mums just take the first refusal as an indication that the baby does not like it,GGD is now 17mths old and has a full and varied diet ranging from curries/olives/all fruits DGSs partner feeds her all the veg that is in season and she saves £s on baby dinners which a lot of mums use for convienience.
When mine have refused food over the yesrs I must admit to making them wait a while but not to long and they would have to do with sandwiches only but I truely don't think any of our children have ever felt starving hungry as was experienced many years ago by some of our older GN members.

Charleygirl Fri 11-Aug-17 11:29:27

I hated meal times because I had to sit there until I had eaten everything. This could easily be for 5 hours so no wonder I cannot look at or eat custard, tapioca, milky rice, fried eggs, poached eggs. Then my mother had the nerve to say that I was putting on weight!

I do not think I was picky, I genuinely did not like this food. I ate everything else.

minimo Fri 11-Aug-17 11:27:13

Oh dear, that's extreme and terrible to hear gillybob.
Obviously there will be some things that children hate to eat but I think it's more about kids demanding certain things (and being given them) rather than being made to starve. The rule in my DS's house is that the kids have to taste everything at least once before deciding they don't like the taste of it. If they decide they don't like a certain thing on their plate, fine, but if they refuse everything on their plate then there isn't anything else.

paddyann Fri 11-Aug-17 11:26:22

My mother was always fussy about food ,she wouldn't even cook things she didn't eat ,so she never expected us to eat things we didn't want/like .I dont think its done me any harm,I have my own list of things I wont ever eat and was a strict vegetarian for a long time .I would hate anyone putting any type of fowl dish in front of me and expecting me to eat it...so why would I do that to my kids or grandkids ?

gillybob Fri 11-Aug-17 11:21:15

I'm not so sure. As a child my DH was repeatedly served the same poached egg because he refused it the first time. He described it as being "not quite set" and it made him feel terribly sick. He was eventually forced into eating it after not being allowed anything else for 2 whole days. Wicked. To this day the sight of a poached egg makes him relive the event and he says he could be physically sick. His parents did the same to him with mashed banana and he can't so much as smell a banana without feeling quite ill.

Elegran Fri 11-Aug-17 11:08:56

Yes, go hungry a little - not starve but if they don't fancy what has been cooked for the family and are not prepared to eat a few spoonfuls with everyone else then not to expect meals to be delayed while a gourmet substitute is rustled up.

It is amazing how delicious food becomes at the next meal, even the identical dish previously rejected.

M0nica Fri 11-Aug-17 11:08:31

Why not? I think it means waiting for meal time and not being given a snack 20 minutes before the meal is served with the inevitable result.

Cherrytree59 Fri 11-Aug-17 10:21:09

Go hungry??

minimo Fri 11-Aug-17 10:16:08

Interesting (though hardly surprising) article here. I must admit I wholeheartedly agree with this. Even my own grandchildren get away with a lot more than I remember my kids ever doing.

“Children need rules, boundaries and opportunities to feel the cold, go hungry and fall down and hurt themselves, so they can learn from their mistakes”

Hear hear!