ChattyCathy wrote:
>
> On Wed, 11 Jun 2008 10:28:28 -0700, aem wrote:
>
> > To offset the frequent threads about children who are picky eaters, here
> > is a story from today's New York Times food section about the opposite.
> > The title, "Scorpions for Breakfast and Snails for Dinner," gives you
> > the idea. -aem
> >
> > http://tinyurl.com/52mb2a
>
> Good read. My youngest is almost (but not quite) as adventurous. You
> should see some people's faces when she scarfs down a plate of snails.
>
> --
> Cheers
> Chatty Cathy
>
> Egg tastes better when it's not on your face...

Definitely a ditto a good read. It's interesting how parents'
attitudes influence a child's likes & dislikes, to a large degree. This
is a topic I take close to heart.

When I grew up, the parental credo was "eat everything on your plate or
straight to bed you go" and/or another tactic used was the same leftover
food from dinner the night before was served as breakfast the following
morning, or lunch, etc. Who wants to guess how many cummulative hours
during my youngster years I had to sit at the dinner table waiting for
bedtime?! Y'all don't want to know <G>!

Why do (some) parents try to force their child(ren) to eat foods the
child "obviously" and "intensely" dislikes? Mind, I don't mean feed a
child unhealthy foods like chips/fries etc., nor do I advocate caving in
or catering to the child's culinary whims either! Not at all.

In my limited experience, I've learned it's best to offer a child a
couple of choices -- no more than that. "You can have Choice 'A' or
Choice 'B' for this meal. Which would you like to have?" No more, no
less. That way, the child does have a choice, but a very limited one
and some sense of control. And I never end a statement with a
questioning "OK?"! By ending any statement with that "OK?" - it
(potentially) gives the child the impression they have options other
than A or B. I cringe when I hear other parents in public followup
their directions with ". . . . OK?" ARGH!

OH! What's my point? My point is DS (my child!) has no food dislikes I
know about -- he's very adventurous culinary-wise. He eats anything
that's served to him. As picky as I am myself (and I'm VERY picky!), I
made sure his choices were healthy foods and not 'fast food' take-out,
etc. (they were occasional treats). I'd ask him, "broccoli or peas?" or
"chicken or fish?" - that sort of thing. Nor did I ever make him eat
foods he obviously disliked. But, I did require him to give 'honest
tries' to taste new foods. Nothing more, nothing less.

Unfortunately, I think it's much harder for children (and their parents)
growing up today than it was during the 1980s and earlier. The World
has changed drastically and so quickly too!!!

Sky, who's no expert about anything and steps off soapbox now ;>

--
Ultra Ultimate Kitchen Rule - Use the Timer!
Ultimate Kitchen Rule -- Cook's Choice