To eat DCs leftovers and everyone thinks it's disgusting

[Evelight]

actually, I also gnaw at their chicken bones eg chicken wings because I am appalled at how much meat they leave behind and I can't bear to waste it. I often get them to look at my bones (which I clean like a hyeana) and compare it with theirs, and they just try to escape.

I come from a fairly frugal family, and it didn't help that I spent part of my childhood years in a country afflicted by war and food scarcity (food rations, kinda like the WWs. DCs get excited when I tell them about having coupons for milk, and bananas and butter being a luxury). We weren't allowed to have anything left on the plate. At school, i remember we were supposed to glue two short pencil stubs together to make them last longer.

ANYWAY, I don't see the problem- we've all learned at school that we are sharing germs in a family - what is so gross about eating the leftover salad off of DD's plate? Tbh though, I only do it with my kids, not eg DH or my siblings.

Sorry, I do think it's gross, though I understand where you're coming from. There's something desperate about someone eating from someone else's plate that's really hard to watch.

I wouldn't cook food that might involve waste, like chicken wings etc. In your position I would cook them food where I could control their intake, by just putting a small portion on their plate at a time.

Nope - I used to do that. And then have my own dinner and put weight on!!

Now they are older I am much stricter about finishing what they have but portion size is with them in mind. I still eat the crusts from dd's pizza!

What I used to find most frustrating was when I had made something new and it was outright rejected. Didn't want to see my hard work go to waste!!

I actually lost a lot of weight when my ds was quite small by eating his leftovers.

it was never quite enough to fill me up, but just enough that I'd forget to make myself anything.

I'd never tell him to clear his plate. mealtimes should be pleasant, not pressured.

I don't think it's gross, so long as you are not eating too much, I have no issue with this.
Shit is gross and yet... Who wiped their lil' baby arses?

I don't like waste either but I'd bung the chicken wings in a pot and make stock rather than suck them clean the way you describe. It can't be very nice to look at! There's very little waste in this house and that's how I like it but I don't achieve that by eating leftovers myself. You can always make something from leftovers.

Is this in public? If in a restaurant I might take something off the kids plate of I know they won't eat it but I wouldn't eat their leftovers (although I did once when we went to a restaurant where the lovely chef came out and said he would make something special for ds -who hated it and I ended up trying to eat it discretely so it wouldn't upset the chef!)

Tbh though, I only do it with my kids, not eg DH or my siblings.

That's interesting. Can I ask why you draw the line there?

I remember meeting a woman who had lost a lot of weight who said she'd realised she was treating herself like a dustbin when she ate the kids' leftovers. (She was then eating her own meal, too.)

I had a Ghanaian friend who used to suck dry the chicken bones and then eat the buggers. Crunch, crunch, suck and crunch. It was a sight to behold but always left me feeling slightly queasy!

I don't think it's gross unless it's a spat out chip or something and it's not as if they're strangers. They're your babies.

But I hate myself for doing it as I put weight on so there's obviously a cultural difference here

Yeah I think that's yuck.

I've seen the state DC leave their plates in, suace everywhere, things mixed... eww. Can't eat that once someone's had their jaws all over it.

It depends if you are fat or not
Yes, I'm bored and fat too
It's supposed to be a joke

Imperial my friend was the same.

Her reasoning was that she couldn't stand waste. So I asked her why she kept buying so much food and cooking it, knowing the kids wouldn't eat it all.

She said that was an epiphany, as deep down she realised she was over cooking on purpose

OP if you're appalled at how much meat they leave behind on their chicken wings and can't bear to waste it, you can always refuse to give them chicken wings until they learn to eat them properly.

Or just continue as you are if you prefer.

My DH does this, and it gives me the rage, because he's getting fat and the DC never learn to clear their plate properly. I don't think it's gross on his part though - the bit I find gross is where the DC bite (instead of cut) a chunk off something and then leave it. This is where DH and I disagree.

actually, I also gnaw at their chicken bones eg chicken wings because I am appalled at how much meat they leave behind and I can't bear to waste it. I often get them to look at my bones (which I clean like a hyeana) and compare it with theirs, and they just try to escape.

While I appreciate you grew up in a country afflicted by war that is just grim! No wonder your children try to escape as they don't understand your issues with wasting food. It's wrong to show your bones to your children as everyone is different and children simply won't understand your issues with food.

You sound ever so slightly scary OP.

I don't think it's gross and will pick at DS1's dinner if he has left it.

I may have eaten a piece of carrot this morning that came out of the baby's mouth without thinking

Worra, it's the same thing, isn't it? You remember being hungry and you're determined not to put your kids through that. Then they don't eat it all/don't appreciate it because they're not hungry (in the same way you were) so you eat it because you can't stand the waste.

Cook less. If you cook chicken wings (for example) give them one at a time until they've had enough. You can use the rest in a soup.

It's interesting that some women will only eat leftovers - you deserve a proper meal, you know.

I do this all the time...I have no shame.

I am also fat.

I need to stop...

OP I don't find it odd but I expect people in the west to find it odd its not part of their eating etiquettes.

I was taught not to waste even a grain of rice because we will have to answer when we die, for wasting food when other people are dying from a lack of clean water and basic nutrition. Now it sounds dismal but take God out of the equation and the statement is true, how much food do we throw away in the west? It's insane. We have excess food, eat excess yet think nothing of throwing good food away. Young kids are the worst offenders.

we are taught to lick the plate clean, and my mil has taken it to the literal level. I have seen her pick the plate up and lick it. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, I said nothing. Husband went ballistic lol

We eat mainly rice and curries. My kids are still young oldest 9. I don't like eating rice they've mixed with curry, but any plain white rice left on the side I will separate and keep in a bowl for my dinner. I don't see anything gross in that. Any uneaten meat I'll keep aside too. But if there's so much there that its bigger than a portion i'd normally eat I wouldn't have it all.

My mil has dementia if I leave her in the kitchen unattended after breakfast she wll go around every plate take left over toast, cereal egg off each of my kids plates that's x4. so I agree with last poster it can make you fat, shes on the obese level and diabetic and she doesn't care. She'll do the same after lunch and dinner. So I havce to babysit or get rid of the food fast.

I've never eaten partially eaten meat or chicken wings for example but if I had to I wouldn't feel sick eating my kids ones, or even husbands left overs. But I draw the line at anyone else especially mother in law, she has really dire hygiene.

Hop, get a spray of detergent and spray the children's plates as soon as they have finished.

I don't see the problem. It's your children's food not a stranger. I don't think forcing them to eat more is the right solution though. Maybe cut down on the amount of food you serve them and there will be less to waste.

My grandad used to polish off all the sausages etc when we stayed with them. He was affected by the war too. Whilst I understand that, something my mum said to me at the time has always stuck with me. If you aren't hungry, it's just as wasted in you as on a plate.

I agree. If you do want to change, try smaller portion sizes for them. You seem happy enough though?