About Her Lifestyle

I don’t know if this sounds familiar around your dinner table… please, just take 3 more bites and you’ll be done, OR, if you don’t eat your growing foods, you won’t get big and strong, OR even, I don’t care if you don’t like it, just pinch your nose and get it down!

I must say, dinner hour is not my favorite part of the day.  Between trying to get the kids to eat their food and sit at the table with good manners, it has become a stress rather than happy family time.  I of course have the Leave It To Beaver model in my head as the way it should really go – silly me.

Some nights are definitely better than others and my 7 year old son is now coming around and becoming a better eater.  As for my almost 5 year old daughter, she can practically exist on nothing.  I totally don’t get it!  Isn’t she HUNGRY???  I wish I had that problem!

This leads me to question whether I am making way too big a deal over trying to force them to eat each night.  Am I doing more harm than good for the long run?  Am I setting them up for “food issues” when they are older?  Am I putting too much pressure on them?  Has this just boiled down to being a power struggle???  I know, I know… lots of questions!

I think the answer to these many questions is yes, I am indeed making too big a deal.  I especially think so as I sit writing this and ponder the issue.  Given the multitude of hits I got when searching the topic on the web, I don’t think I’m alone in this.  And another thing, every article I read said the same thing… don’t force your kids to eat.  So here is what I propose to try:

• Put a healthy meal on the table each night and let them take what they want (but they have to finish what they put on their plate)
• If they don’t finish their plate, wrap it up and put in the fridge for later (and they will have to finish it before getting anything else)
• Stop monitoring them throughout the meal and instead concentrate on talking to them and having some quality family time
• Be a good role model  by eating healthy foods (something I already do)
• Ask for their participation in planning the family meal
• Make food fun and educate them on fun facts to hopefully interest them in what they are eating.  For example:

Do you know how broccoli is grown?

Did you know apples are made of 25% air, which is why they float?

Honey is the only edible food for humans that will never go bad

• Try to chill out a little – they won’t starve to death!

I know with any big change, it’s a lot easier said than done, but it’s definitely worth a try.  That last one on the list will be especially hard!  I feel, however, that it’s imperative to keep an open mind as a parent and to try new things.  After all, I think we would all agree that the end result is to raise happy, well-adjusted children.