What Am I, a Restaurant?

Tell us if you feel more like a short-order cook than a willing parent when it comes to your own version of kitchen wars. Do you take multiple food requests at each meal? Do you agree with some of our featured mom bloggers that taking a hard line with your children about what you serve may actually be creating a fussier eater? Our feisty guest mom blogger Jennifer Brandt, asks other real moms to take a hard look at what goes on in the kitchen every day.

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Showing the Latest of 14 Comments

Texan Mama
2 yearss ago

Hi Jennifer! I have a mixture of picky and agreeable eaters. Basically, what I do, is I have one main dish and usually 4 or 5 side dishes. However, only 1 or 2 of the side dishes are hot, then the other 2-4 side dishes are quick cold sides, like cottage cheese or sliced block cheese or raisins or almonds or pickles or canned peaches. The way we do it, you must take some of the main dish and you can CHOOSE 2 side dishes. I think if kids can choose their own side dish, they're more likely to eat it. I always offer lots of healthy side options, and ONLY ONE STARCH so they can't pick 2 starches. Plus, this allows for differences in taste from one child to the next. BUT it doesn't make any more work for me because it's just opening a carton or can or jar. It has really worked well for our family!

sarah.ann.perrone
1 years ago

A big part of this is age! I mean you cannot look an infant or toddler in the face and say eat this or your not getting anything else. (To a point) Like my step-daughter I caught her.... She 'accidently' dropped her entire plate on the floor because she wanted a flipping hot dog. I was so angry that she just did not say she did not want it instead of so rudely wasting my money and food by 'accidentally' dropping the entire plate on the floor. I think a big part of this is age after your child is a certain age you can say 'ya know what eat it or eat nothing I am not a buffet'.

adasno
2 yearss ago

Dinner has become the biggest stress of my life. My kids are 9 and 11, almost every night I make at least 2 meals so that everyone is happy. Lately I can't even do that without complaints, even about their favorite meals. I have recently stopped doing this. They are now told to eat what is made or they will have to make themselves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for supper. No more alternates.

mamahanzlik
2 yearss ago

Okay, wait. Starving him? Eating issues via string cheese incident? how old is this child? I mean seriously, this is the first time I have ever been compelled to actually post a comment. NO, you won't starve him...and he needs to learn to be grateful for and respectful of what is placed in front of him during the family meal. end of story. Giving him that 12th string cheese is not teaching him anything positive... every family in the world has eating issues, which I truly believe are mostly power struggles.....those poor little beans are just aching for something in their world that they can exercise some kind of control over. I do think that kids do know what their bodies need...but they also know how to work a situation to their own advantage. go for balance...and remember that YOU are the mom... and they need to respect and say "thank you" for what you provide for them.

lorioz
2 yearss ago

Generally, my daughter is a good eater, she doesn't eat large portions, but she will eat what is in front of her. I think the reason for this is because we really try to eat everything with her. She definitely eats better when the family is at the table, and when she hasn't eaten for at least two hours before the meal. She is only two and a half though, so perhaps things will change....

SilverXeno
2 yearss ago

This is one subject that I feel like I am an expert on...and also feel very defensive about. I have read all I can possibly read about feeding my kids, I have taken the advice of professionals, friends, family, & even total STRANGERS. I ate what I was given as a kid. We were poor as dirt, so there were 2 or 3 years straight where all we ate for dinner (ALL) was beans & rice. No kidding. The first time in 3 years when my mom fed us meat, she videotaped it (borrowed cam corder!). FWIW, I currently LOVE beans & rice. My oldest was GREAT until she was about 3. Then it was an almost overnight battle. I battled for about a full year before I gave up on dinner. She eats most breakfasts foods (anything beige, really)...and lunch (crackers, cheese, and maybe an apple)...but dinner was a hot button. After being woken up for the 47th consecutive night by a cranky pre-schooler who was "starving" at 2 in the morning I finally just gave in. FINE. Eat chicken nuggets for dinner. And we have been doing that for the last 2 years, I kid you not. The younger child is much better about eating...but tends to want to copy big sister...so there have been actual disciplinary actions when big sis says, "Ew" or "gross" at the table & little sister copies her. I have even gotten big sis to fake a "yum" or two so that little sister will start eating. My husband is deployed right now...and before that he did 9 months of training away from home. During that time & currently...I rarely bothered to prepare a "meal" of any kind for dinner. I just don't have the fortitude to battle with my kindergartener alone. And I'm not one of those pushover moms. I say "no" (and mean it) to a LOT of stuff...and the tantrum I can deal with. The problem is...Saying "no" at dinner time is recurring. You say no to the newest Hannah Montana t-shirt & it's not an issue EVER again (or at least if it comes up, it's while we're in Target, and nowhere else!). SO...No to the t-shirt means a 5 minute tantrum and then it's done. No to chicken nuggets at dinner and the screaming goes on until bed time...then after bedtime, then sometime after midnight, but before the sun is up...when you have a hungry, tired child standing next to your bed whimpering b/c she's starving. And your only goal at that time...is to make her go back to bed, and not bother you again. And then you get up for breakfast...and it starts all over again. Sigh. Big fat SIGH. I love food...I love my kids...I just wish they loved each other!

The Moxie Report
2 yearss ago

Avoid processed and fast food like the plague and there's a good chance your kid will eat better at the table. Now, I'm not saying my daughter doesn't protest when she realizes there's a 'green thing' in the spaghetti sauce...but she usually gets over it and eats it. And if she doesn't then we take the food away and she doesn't get anything else. Well, unless my husband caves in! I'm a big foodie so I also take her to farmer's markets on the weekends and have a big veggie garden...so she knows where food comes from.

acm
2 yearss ago

Man, I don't mind that toddlers have a few-foods phase; what I *hate* is when she begs and wheedles for some food, I decide to run with it, and then, when it's all ready, it's like "nooooooooooo, not that!!!" She's not really old enough to control her frustrations, but it's all I can do not to send her to bed hungry! (I don't want to start food wars at this age, as she's already perfectly willing to just not eat in order to gain control, and that's a *really* bad road to start down!) I like the idea of having default no-prep backups, whether it's string cheese or cereal or whatever. we only make one dinner here, but we won't force you to eat things you genuinely don't like. (my parents were really unbending, even though the mere smell of cauliflower made me nauseated.) I think it's reasonable to ask them to try things, even if they didn't like them sometime back, as their tastes evolve, but beyond that, life is short...

ElanaE
2 yearss ago

This is not Chez Mommy! If don't want/ like what I have made, you are on your own. My twin daughters (5 1/2) know how to make peanut butter and jelly and a bowl of cereal and mostly can make their own scrambled eggs. I used to let my feelings get hurt, but no longer. I don't have the time or the energy. I know that sometimes it's not that they don't want to eat what I have made, but they want to have some control. So, go ahead, have that bowl of cereal. I cook once.

mrs.notouching
2 yearss ago

When I was about 7 my father made some eggs for breakfast. I said I didn't like eggs... he said I can eat them or I can wear them. Two minutes later I was wearing them on my head. Then he proceeded to wash my head with ice-cold water... since I had to go to school and all. 10 years later I was in my room when I heard my 6 year old brother scream in the bathroom - "noooo daddy nooo! I will eat your eggs I promise!" Till this day we both eat whatever is given to us. Personally I plan on threatening my kids with a summer at grandfather's house if they ever refuse to eat. Surely it will work, no?

What Am I, a Restaurant?

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