to not make her a seperate meal?

[fairy1303]

DSD lives here full time.

She is currently having a massive meltdown because I have told her we are having... shock horror... CASSEROLE for dinner.

We have this about once a month, it's cheap, easy, healthy.
I know she doesn't like it.

I have said that is what we are having, no I won't make a seperate meal.
She is telling me not to serve her any. She doesn't want it. She is crying because she 'isn't allowed any dinner'. She has phoned MIL to tell her. She is about to phone my mum to tell her too. She has phoned daddy at work to tell him.

Now, I'm pretty strict. I'm also aware of the wsm stuff.

AIBU to say: that is what we are having. There will be nothing else?

Or am I being too hard on her?

She's 8

Surprised at so many people saying they wouldn't cook or eat something they didn't like!

But you don't cook Quorn because you hate it :o

DD's 'most favourite foods in the world' are home made spag bol and a slow cooker chicken tikka masala. When I find meals like that which she loves I tend to make double when I cook them and freeze portions. That way when we have something she's not keen on I can quickly zap a spag bol and cook spaghetti/rice in ten minutes.

My DP doesn't like pasta, I wouldn't cook it for dinner.

Why would I cook something he doesn't like?

I don't like casserole... I would eat it though.

My kids get what they are offered for dinner unless I know me and dh are eating later in which case I may ask them what they want normally pasta however.

If she won't eat it she can have a slice of toast or a bit fruit I would say, give in and give her something nice and she will do this everytime she does not fancy what you have cooked..

Also stop her calling people

I often cook things I don't like, but I wouldn't eat something I didn't like. Seems a bit pointless to do so.

In future, is there anything that you can do so that she will like it?

Lentils, veggie sausages, tomatoes-I'm afraid I'd struggle with that!

I am another meanie who would not provide an alternative.

Budgets are tight, so I only do two menu choices each evening. These are as follows:

1. Eat what I have provided.
2. Go hungry.

Mine have moaned aplenty sometimes, but have never chosen the "go hungry" option.

If I was needing to provide for someone with specific dietary requirements for medical reasons then I adapt what I cook, and a suitable option will be provided. Other than that, I do not do it.

Amibambini - isn't that just assuming that all children love junk food over non-junk food?

DD dislikes spinach, peas and mushrooms mainly. I don't make her eat them. However she eats a huge range of food and very little "junk food." When she was little she didn't like cake or chips - I didn't make her eat them.

My godson isn't keen on much junk food, but loves all vegetables, fruit and almost always goes for the healthier option.

Not all kids who have one or two dislikes just gorge on junk food!

I would never force a child to eat something they don't like, memories of being forced to eat school dinners comes to mind.
As for offal, a lot of people eat liver and kidneys (I personally don't) but as a Scot, haggis is widely eaten here.

Exactly hula baby. Actually my sons biggest food dislikes are chicken nuggets and fish fingers - both of which he point blank refuses to eat so I would never dream of giving to him.

"Surprised at so many people saying they wouldn't cook or eat something they didn't like!"

SpoonedMackerel - You don't cook quorn because you don't like it.

She doesn't like it. She's crying about it. If you only have it once a month, why can't you do her something simple alongside in the future so you can have what you like and so can she?

I know many people who eat offal. I remember it being very popular when growing up - I remember liver a lot, including in school meals. It is one tof the reasons I know don't eat meat. It was served up and there was no alternative. Eat or go hungry. It was so horrid, but you forced it down. And it turned me off meat for good eventually.

She doesn't eat Quorn because she hates it, not dislikes it. She does eat things she doesn't particularly like.

That's the difference.

I think it's one thing to have part of a meal you don't like, such as carrots in stew as you can easily leave them, but it's quite another to serve a whole meal you know isn't liked. I'd never do that to my dc's and I can't believe any parent would. I think the op is totally unreasonable.

Squeaver this comment made me register after a long time lurking, best quote ever!
"Could she have some wafer thin ham, Barbara?"

YABU. You know she doesn't like it, so there's really no reason to feed her it. I wouldn't eat something I didn't like, so I wouldn't push it on a child just because I'm an adult.

Oh, and btw, you and DH eating something that someone else has prepared for you (presumably not in your own home?) is NOT the same as DSD having to eat something she doesn't like in her own home. Regardless of the fact that someone has prepared it for her. It's not her fault she doesn't like it.

If you're too tired to make anything else, just do a simple meal and let her have that.

I hate faddiness, but I still would not produce a family meal knowing that one person disliked it. I'd think of an alternative for us all.
Forcing the issue is a sure fire way of causing regular food battles or producing alternate menus.
Neither is a good option.

Can't help feeling sorry for her.

Must feel to her like it's always that "once a month".

I try to adapt stuff so that everyone enjoys it, or do a couple of similar meals.

My sister doesn't eat meat,because she was forced to eat it at school.

She remembers being sat at the dinner table at school for an hour until she had eaten a fatty piece of meat.

Fatty meat makes her heave now.

I would just say it isn't very often that we have this meal and that she should try it again as taste buds change :)

Well. Table is laid. DSD has stood in the kitchen, eyeing it up. Saw me adding some cheese. Has decided she might just sit down at the table and see.

We shall see.

Dislikes/Hates - where's the cut off?

I would say hate is something you really couldn't force down at all, gagging or making you sick to swallow. It's a really strong word for me.

I could, if forced, eat meat. I really do not like it at all. But I know I can force it down as did as a child. But would I chose to eat it? No. Would I get any enjoyment from the meal? No.

Why do you regularly make food that she expressly doesn't like? Make something you all like. Imagine if you were forced to eat food you found disgusting.