Oh for the sake of fuck, Dr Ranj!

[YokoUhOh]

Just bought DS1 the CBeebies 'Food' special edition magazine. It contains my biggest gripy fucking bugbear slap bang in the middle of it (I refer you to the attached pic, and I'm not talking about Dr Ranj's incredible dancing eyebrows).

Why is 'finish what's on your plate' still considered good advice? Surely 'eat however much you fancy' is more sensible? There's a obesity epidemic. AIBU to think that children shouldn't be rewarded for finishing everything put in front of them, especially as most portions are too humongous?

Stick "Friday I will eat until I'm full and then stop" over it.

Completely agree with you. I hate it when people tell their children they must clear their plates. It's bollocks.

His eyebrows are on steroids 😂😂

Friday "I will try some of everything on my plate"

I'm in my thirties and my parents didn't insist on cleared plates, it's not some new age hipster thing!

Shall I be a monumental ballache and complain?

Well, just give sensible portions and remind them they can come back for seconds. No need for food to be left on plates.

I totally don't understand it - I'm a grown adult and I don't often eat everything on my plate unless I want to! I just serve it up and if it's too much, it's too much. I don't insist the DC do either (which is just as well or we'd never do anything apart from sit at the table staring at cold food...)

I agree with you.

I was in my 20s when I suddenly realized one day that I didn't have to finish everything on my plate. It had obviously been very well drummed into me from an early age!

YANBU. It's awful being made to eat when you're not hungry or carry on eating when you're full.

If there's one thing I'm proud of in my kids, it's that they're both completely capable of stopping eating when they're full. I've never mastered it, DP has major portion issues, but whether it's dinner or pudding, both my boys stop when they're full.

What are you thinking Dr Ranj.. whilst I love the perky tunes about Chest X-rays and gastric tubes, I think you need to properly approve your cbeebies magazine advice.

'Never stick your finger up your nose...but eat until you explode'

I would complain. This is terrible advice. Chitoffthebshovel - I do give sensible portion sizes but my DCs' appetite seems to vary really really wildly - some meals they barely eat anything at all, some meals they almost eat an adult potion (they are 5 and 8). The rule in our house is: "eat until you are full then stop". I have never insisted they finish their plate and they have a really good diet and will eat almost all foods. If hungry.

Surely as everything it depends on the context? If you've given a fussy child a small portion of something they love and then one item to try, Im not sure its a bad thing. But then Dr Ranj videos really helped littlest DS when he went to hospital last week for an op so maybe I am just defending him!

God my mum used to make us clear our plates, I still do it now even if I'm full :(
I catch myself saying it to DS sometimes and then stop, but my mum says it to him when he's at hers.
Its so engrained in my brain :(

My ds is the same Choc, he's 3 and loves chocolate but will leave a single chocolate button in a bag if he's full. Dp had the message 'eat until your place is empty' drummed into him as a kid and will still eat until he feels physically sick- he just can't bear to leave food on the plate.

I hate that advice. I always always tell dc to eat till they're full. But if they declare they're full then no pud.

My mum used to make us clear our plates. It's a very hard habit to get out of, even now I'm 26.

I have never ever told my kids to clear their plates. Our rule has always been you must try a bit of everything on your plate, but never clear it.

Unfortunately exH and his gf are more in the punish uncleared plates mentality. They drop DS2 off telling me he's not allowed pudding because he hasn't eaten every mouthful of something he dislikes. I shut the door and give the poor kid something. He knows I hate that rule.

My Dad was brought up to eat everything on his plate. In his late 20's he found himself staying long term in a B and B and the landlady provided evening meals. First night he cleared his plate. So the next night she gave him a bigger meal and so it went on, until he finally cracked and told her he was full to bursting!!

There is a good reason for expecting children to clear their plate. I go to a lot of trouble to prepare meals that are nutritious and tasty, and I serve them the amount that is right for them- a smaller plateful for the youngest for example. If they eat their meal, I know that they are getting the right nutrition. If they leave half of it because they do not like it, chances are they will get hungry before the next meal, and be more likely to snack on food that is not nutritious- also, it is wasteful!!
Of course they shouldn't be forced to eat when they are full, but I do think they should be encouraged to fill up on their meal rather than snacks.

There is a good reason for expecting children to clear their plate. I go to a lot of trouble to prepare meals that are nutritious and tasty, and I serve them the amount that is right for them- a smaller plateful for the youngest for example. If they eat their meal, I know that they are getting the right nutrition. If they leave half of it because they do not like it, chances are they will get hungry before the next meal, and be more likely to snack on food that is not nutritious- also, it is wasteful!!
Of course they shouldn't be forced to eat when they are full, but I do think they should be encouraged to fill up on their meal rather than snacks.

Terrible advice! When I was a personal trainer before I got fat and old because I love food and have no control mechanism, partly because of this attitude but mainly because I am a greedy fucker we were taught about 'clean plate syndrome' which is partly responsible for the post war constant growth in obesity. It is the baby boomers who were children post war (and then had us) who were taught to 'finish everything on your plate'.

Weird, and an endemic to our culture attitude and really unhealthy, definitely complain OP!

Yep I was made to clear my plate. I am so greedy now! I go by the rule that their stomachs are the size of their fists. I am still rubbish at cooking small portions but I am better at plating smaller meals up and freezing leftovers

Just put less on their plate and expect them to finish that!

DH was raised to eat everything on his plate. He still has issues with recognising when he's full and not over eating, he's 30 now. We only encourage DD to eat more if she's literally only had 1 or 2 mouthfuls. Otherwise that's it, if she says she's had enough we don't push it.