NaBloPoMo Day 8: Finish everything on your plate
I’ve been struggling with this “rule” of parenting lately. Finish everything on your plate.
I remember as a child, sitting at the kitchen table with soggy cereal in front of me. I’d have to sit there until every last bite was gone. I remember gagging at the rank smell and taste of soggy Corn Flakes. I hated that rule.
Now, years later, I’m subjecting my children to the same rule. Not with cereal (gag much?) but with dinner. Noah’s very adamant about it. Obviously we don’t do this with Liliana yet (we just make her eat something), but we do with Kaylie. We give the kids smaller helpings so that they can ask for more if they want. But, we make them finish that first helping.
I am a Jon & Kate Plus 8 addict. Kate’s rule is that each child has to take at least one bite of each item on their plate, but they do not have to finish their whole plate. I like that rule as well.
I remember having dinner at a friend’s place, and his step-dad said to me, “We are not a rich family, you are going to eat everything on that plate.” I hadn’t been protesting at all, he was just half-joking, half-serious. I think I was like 16 at the time. It stuck with me.
We had a dietitian come to a mom’s group that I went to in Terrace. She said that it was unhealthy to make a child eat everything on his or her plate, and that the rule led to obesity. I don’t think it’s that bad. It’s not like I’m making my child finish a Supersized Big Mac meal.
I’m curious what others do with this. Do you make your kid finish everything? A little bit of everything? Whatever they want? Educate me.
I think this one is very dependent on the child. Michaela is such a good eater that if she really doesn’t like something then I’m okay with that (as long as she has tried it). If she were never eating her vegetables or something like that I would make her finish….make sense??
Annies last blog post..Getting in Control
Three bites of everything on the plate and no dessert until the veggies are gone. But Bridoodle is younger than Liliana. So we haven’t started practicing what I’m preaching yet.
citystreamss last blog post..that’s what he said
I don’t have kids, but when I was younger, we had to at least TRY everything. Sometimes, if we didn’t eat it all, it would be lunch for the next day. Which is what I still do.
They have to make an honest effort…does that make sense? They also have to eat the majority of the veggies. I’m aware that everyone has likes/dislikes so if they don’t like mushrooms, they don’t have to eat them.
I watch Jon and 8 as well, but Kate irritates me. I hate how she talks to her husband, and the little slaps she does to him. Imagine if he was doing that to her??
Jennys last blog post..That Day Has Come
I’m not crazy about the ‘finish everything on the plate’ rule because I’d never want my kids to eat when they aren’t hungry. And I don’t always do that. I’d much rather them learn to stop when they are satisfied.
I give both my girls small helpings of everything. For example, a small piece of fish, a bit of rice and some veggies. I do make them take atleast a few bites of veggies but that’s about it. They don’t eat their meal then they don’t get a snack or if they do get a snack because they are actually hungry, it’s a fruit or veggie only. I do try to encourage Abby to have what I serve her because it’s a kid-friendly portion and she does have to finish it if she wants dessert.
That being said, my girls are both great eaters and really I don’t have to enforce much eating because they gobble up everything on their plates.
When my little girl says she’s full, we tell her she has to have 3 more bites because she’s 3. We usually don’t have to worry about it too much because she’s a really good eater. Most of the time she says she’s full because she wants to go play or is really distracted by something. She likes the rule right now and will often say, ” I’m full. Now Mommy tell me I have to eat 3 more bites cuz I’m 3!”
I wouldn’t do that because it could lead to obesity. It’s telling kids that they need to eat past fullness. If they are doing it just to do it, find make them eat a bite. But all? I don’t think that’s a good idea.
The best advice I ever got was this:
You decide what your child is going to eat and they decide how much.
We did have to eat everything on our plates because food is a good gift from God (for which we were thankful) which was in very short supply in WW2 when Mum and Dad grew up and when our family lived in dire poverty.
Snacks however were fairly small and a long time before the meal - if the child was hungry close to the meal then “just wait a while and dinner will be ready”.
Mum served appropriate sized portions and when we cleaned our plates it kept us from being hungry an hour later……….sort of a learning a self discipline.
One third or more of the worlds population does not have 3 meals plus snacks a day and all those choices of whether or not to eat them and we are so blessed. That is what our Mum taught us.
However re obesity…..we had no vehicle or school bus most of the time and walked long distances from a young age so calories in = calories out.
My take is to just avoid snacking. If they haven’t snacked, yet don’t want to finish their plates, no big deal. However if they have snacked then I would prob. get pretty upset if they don’t finish.
I think kids snack WAY too much these days! (not saying yours do, I’m just saying kids in general).
Lauries last blog post..More Tricks!
We just have the kids *try* everything. Finishing everything on their plate could lead to issues, IMHO…
Angellas last blog post..Sunday Is A Day Of Rest
First, we require that everyone in the house have a try me bite of everything. Even the adults (my mom hates asparagus, but if we serve it and she’s over, she eats a bite. Among protest.) My husband and children love peas, I hate them. I still have a spoonful (and usually some other veggie) to set the example. And they are pretty good about it. There are a few exceptions (beets…yuck). And we give them reasonable servings, and you don’t get seconds on anything or any dessert/snacks later if you don’t eat it all. I try tokeep the portions small, so that we don’t throw away, but my children are all very good eaters.
My mom told me I couldn’t get up until I ate all my peas when I was around 5-6 years old. I fell asleep in my plate. As the doctor told her, children will eat when they are hungry, it’s our job to provide healthy choices and guidelines.
Good luck!
mamalangs last blog post..Another frustrating day
We usually get Marin to try a bit of everything and for the most part we get her to finish everything, but we will make exceptions too, we can tell when she is full so when that happens then we don’t make her finish.
Kristins last blog post..Geography with Marin.