to have put dd's dinner in the bin?

[greenwheelie]

Dinner tonight - scampi, potato wedges and salad. I put some chunks of beetroot in the salad. DD2(6) anounced she hates beetroot. I told her she could eat one piece only. We have always had the rule (dd is 3rd child) that you have to try everything on the plate.

My Mum and Dad are here for the evening. DD sat and cried, fake-coughed and kept shouting that she was going to be sick. We ignore her for a while, then I said if she couldn't be quiet and eat then she would have to leave the room. She continued so I told her to go. After 5 minutes she was quiet so I asked her to come back and join us. She immediately started the drama again. I told her she was spoiling the dinner for all of us and if she didn't stop that would be the end of her meal. She got a piece of beetroot on her fork and waved it around, crying and coughing. So I took her food away and sent her out. The food is now in the bin and dd is in bed.

My parents are now saying I am like an army general and that dd will be hungry. Was I being unreasonable and AIBU to feel very unsupported in trying to discipline a strong-willed child?

Ha Hully you're evil.

Cailin - I often get a text telling me they're going out for tea on Day 2. Funny that.

Me, dh and dd are having mashed potato with our dinner tonight.

Ds does not like it and I won't insist he try it again. He's tried it several times and only eaten one mouthful and then said he doesn't like it and leaves the rest. So I won't even put any on his plate tonight - he can have a lovely sweetcorn on the cob instead.

Sweetcorn on the cob, incidentally, is just about the only food my dd will not eat!

My dh doesn't like aubergine or shellfish. Perhaps I should insist he tries a little bit every single time I have some and he might change his mind about it??

V patronising Callin re length of thread. Unnecessary.

Kat - I think this is getting a bit silly. I agree with your last post, but I don't think that is what people are saying. More that in general, if on the odd occasion a previously eaten meal wasn't wanted, it wouldn't be the end of the world, they could have something else because sometimes one just doesn't fancy what's on offer.

I wouldn't normally refuse food Kata, I would only do it if I really didn't want it. The same is true for children. I don't see why a person can't be allowed to say "actually I'm really not in the mood for this, sorry, can I just have bread instead?" IME most children with a normal appetite will take a nice, filling meal over bread most days.

Now, if I asked a child, would you like such and such for dinner and they said yes please and then refused it I'd be pretty miffed. Still I wouldn't force them to eat it.

Mintyy - you've missed the point. I'm talking about foods the DCs/DH will eat/like.

Cailin wasn't patronising, she was making a valid observation.

My oldest went through a hollow-legs phase a year or so ago where she'd regularly be raiding the cupboards an hour after tea anyway - if she did that after having rudely turned her nose up at what I'd made, I'd probably say so, and I certainly wouldn't make any apology if there wasn't anything yummy in.

But I don't know why you're fixated on this idea that they will capriciously say they don't want something which they usually like - why would they? I don't see why you (who have obviously brought them up so well in regard to food!) are convinced a child would do this!

I wasn't really talking to you kat (no offense) it was more a general ramble.

mashed potato

vomerama

Well if they'll eat it and like it where's the issue?

Mintyy - your son is being VVVVVU. Not like mashed potato? Is that possible? That, along with rice pudding is breast milk for adults.

How odd not to be able to be honest with your dh and tell them you didn't fancy eating something! You would eat something you didn't want just to show good manners, this is your dh we're talking about. My DH wouldn't be offended if I didn't feel like eating something, we'd just save it for the next day.

Frontpaw - well as Hully's post illustrates so tastefully, its a love or hate thing .

My DH wouldn't be offended either. He's used to me not eating things he's cooked. He can't tell when I get in whether I've had a huge lunch or have been dreaming of cheese salad can he? It's only food.

My dad hates mashed potato too. He is very weird though :)

He did huff and puff once about me not liking his (very very horrible) stew, so I said, "Ok I'll make mash tomorrow and if I eat the stew, you'll eat the mash, deal?" That shut him up.

I've just been thinking about the worst meal I could cook. Salmon fillets with new potatoes with the skins on, peas and sweetcorn would do it. Everyone would leave something :)

Funnily enough it doesn't appear on the menu chez Jins

I find it bizarre that some parents think a child expressing a preference or opinion is automatically naughty or annoying. I think some people need reminding that having a child means sharing your life with a person with their own mind.

I'll have that please Jins, with a lovely ice cold glass of Sancerre.

Good for you. It's the way I brought my kids up and they eat anything. Whether they like it or not. There is an easy cop out route here. Don't take it. Nothing wrong with Army Generals .

Back in the 80's my Dad became a SAHP and Mum went to work due to unchosen course of events.
Cooking was not his strong point, and if I had eaten what I liked and nothing else I would have starved so while I am not about to get a funnel and force feed my children, nor am I going to traumatise them, I do expect a child who is old enough to have a little stoicism on occasion, as the ability to eat something though you wouldn't choose to do so can come in handy in life.

Funnily enough Jins, all my DC would eat that meal...

My DC would eat more of it than DH and I....

Ok, folks, bowing out. Need to think what I'm going to give DC for tea

Have fun!

Where has the OP gone?