noobiechickenlady
Almost Self-Reliant
After reading the above few posts, I would have to say I have a combination of free's parents approach and others who make their kids try at least one bite.
"THIS is what is available, we planned this meal a week ago. You are not allowed to complain about the food as I do not run a restaurant. Nor am I or your father short order cooks. If I ask you what you want for breakfast, say on a weekend, thats different. Otherwise, eat your sausage-biscuit and be quiet or go to your room until lunch. Your plate will be waiting in the fridge for you."
DH sometimes calls me mommy-dearest for that. I don't care. It works, and that plate never stays past dinner, much less until it molds, my kids eat too much for that.
I don't fight about the onions anymore, as they are not a nutritionally dense food, but more of a flavoring. I'm not going to pick them out for you, I like them so they won't be left out. But YOU can pick to your heart's content, as long as thats all you pull out. I check my kids plates before they scrape them into the cat bowl or garbage, so the mushrooms & cauliflower don't sneak out.
If you hit em with whatever approach when they are young and still see you somewhat on the same level as God, it works a lot better. It gets harder as they start developing their own ideas & ways of convincing you otherwise. I started when mine were very small. No gerber products, they got the same foods I eat, just without the spicy stuff I like. My kids now joyfully eat spinach, brocolli, pasta & any number of foods that are typically kid-bombs. Plus we keep cheese, raisins, carrots, apples, bananas & other kid friendly, nutritious snacks on hand. And the chips are on top of the fridge (when we even have any) where they can't see them.
"THIS is what is available, we planned this meal a week ago. You are not allowed to complain about the food as I do not run a restaurant. Nor am I or your father short order cooks. If I ask you what you want for breakfast, say on a weekend, thats different. Otherwise, eat your sausage-biscuit and be quiet or go to your room until lunch. Your plate will be waiting in the fridge for you."
DH sometimes calls me mommy-dearest for that. I don't care. It works, and that plate never stays past dinner, much less until it molds, my kids eat too much for that.
I don't fight about the onions anymore, as they are not a nutritionally dense food, but more of a flavoring. I'm not going to pick them out for you, I like them so they won't be left out. But YOU can pick to your heart's content, as long as thats all you pull out. I check my kids plates before they scrape them into the cat bowl or garbage, so the mushrooms & cauliflower don't sneak out.
If you hit em with whatever approach when they are young and still see you somewhat on the same level as God, it works a lot better. It gets harder as they start developing their own ideas & ways of convincing you otherwise. I started when mine were very small. No gerber products, they got the same foods I eat, just without the spicy stuff I like. My kids now joyfully eat spinach, brocolli, pasta & any number of foods that are typically kid-bombs. Plus we keep cheese, raisins, carrots, apples, bananas & other kid friendly, nutritious snacks on hand. And the chips are on top of the fridge (when we even have any) where they can't see them.
