Monday, February 15, 2010

Complaining: It's what's for Dinner


All three of my children are picky eaters. This doesn't completely surprise me considering both my Mr. Farklepants and I were picky eaters when we were children. Mr. Farklepants still has food issues. So clearly it is some kind of gene that is passed on and I imagine upon close inspection beneath a microscope this gene closely resembles that of a mother's head exploding. I recall looking on in envy when my girlfriend's toddlers would readily and eagerly devour anything that was placed before them, sometimes asking for seconds. While I fished a stale Ritz cracker out of the bottom of the diaper bag because the grilled cheese sandwich I'd ordered for them in the restaurant was met with UNCONTROLLABLE CROCODILE TEARS. This is why Boy-Child#1 ate jarred baby food until he was three and a half years old in addition to the waffles and buttered toast that he wanted for every meal because it was the only way I could get a vegetable passed his pursed lips -which prompted a distant relative to pooh-pooh my technique and try to school me on the importance of introducing grown-up food to my child; which, duh. Of course I was doing but he had a thing about textures and frankly she didn't have to see me turn into General Patton FOR EVERY FREAKIN MEAL on a daily basis.

But as they've gotten older, they've grown more bold in their food adventure. They will pretty much eat anything I serve them and if they really don't like it, they'll at least try it. My boys do, that is. Boy-Child#1 will even suggest I add something new to the repertoire. Girl-Child? Not so much. That girl would live on buttered noodles, mac and cheese, cereal, bananas, apples, peanut butter sandwiches, and yogurt if I let her. I regularly serve her whatever it is I've made for dinner and she regularly pushes it around on her plate. We've reached a point where I'm all, dude, you're six years old and if you're hungry you'll eat. If you don't? You go to bed hungry because the kitchen is closed. She is learning that her mom? Isn't even joking about that.

8 comments:

Coco said...

Thankfully I didn't have that much trouble with mine. They would NOT eat sweet potatoes. One refused for a short period to eat anything but pb&j which was okay.

My grandsons are another story. They started out eating everything. Then their other grandparents ruined them during visits by introducing junk food.

Hula Girl at Heart said...

I am currently cooking nightly for my elderly in-laws in addition to my family. I can regularly be heard saying, "This is NOT a truck stop. I don't take special orders!"

hokgardner said...

Fortunately, my kids are pretty good about eating whatever we serve. But girl number #2 learned that the fastest way to get sent to bed without dinner was to look at her plate and announce that the food was "bisgusging."

Anonymous said...

Ah, yes, brings to mind my peanut butter rule. You can eat dinner OR you may have a peanut butter sandwich that YOU make yourself. Or go to bed hungry. Whatever.
Mr. B lives solely on peanut butter and apples with the occasional cheeseburger tossed in for balance.

slow panic said...

yeah. i feel your pain. the picky eaters abound at my house -- including my husband. i think i'm going to start sending him to bed hungry.

wait, that doesn't sound right

calicobebop said...

Mine is an eater - but sometimes it's still a power struggle. I've adopted your "kitchen is closed" attitude as well and it's quite effective.

This Mom said...

I was having issues with dinner time as well. I didn't want to cook they didn't want to eat. At the beginning of February I decided I had enough. I asked each of my kids ro write me a list of their five favorite dinner. I told them NOT to compare notes. Then they gave them to me and I planned out our dinners fo the month, basically sunday thru thursday (friday for leftovers and Sturday FREE). I made up the calender, using some of their favorites and things I wanted to cook, and put it on the fridge. I love it and so do the kids. It is like the school lunch menu, It is was it is. If you don't like today's dinner then tomarrow is another day. It has also cut down on trips to the store. Saving a little money I hope.

http://5phillipskids.blogspot.com/2010/01/planning-ahead.html

Here is a look at my calender for February. I am starting to work on March since this worked so well.

Suburban Correspondent said...

Ketchup helps.