Live lunchtime webchat with Tana Ramsay, 1-2pm, Monday 13 October

[GeraldineMumsnet]

Tana will be online in half an hour to answer your questions about cooking and food for families, her new recipe book and anything else culinary you're burning to ask her. See you then...

[traceybath]

Loved your girl's birthday cake - have made it many times and its delicious.

And are you regretting your fringe - i too had one cut and hated it at silly question.

[TanaRamsay2008]

Gemmiegoatlegs,

I have battled with foods, most memorable my son and his dislike of peas! I continued serving them to all four kids and never made a huge issue out of it but would always put some on his plate and he had to eat some, but i did not make him eat all.
Eventually it got to the point where he just began eating them.

So don't give up but at the same time don't make a huge deal out of it. I think the important thing is to continue to serve the item and don't always say "no, he or she doesn't like it".

Tana

[TheArmadillo]

my questions haven't been answered yet even though I accidentally posted them twice and once on other thread.

Do you let your kids eat shit food at birthday parties?

[TanaRamsay2008]

Tracybath,

Thank you, I love that cake too.

I did regret my fringe very quickly, really irritated me! I have now cut my hair into a bob and have the fringe to the side and LOVE it! So much that I now have the fringe (that is longer) cut to keep this length but not over my eyes. Side fringe is the way to go!

Tana

[GeraldineMumsnet]

Webchat has to end in about 5 mins. Thanks for all your questions and to Tana for coming on.

[matildax]

Tana,
can i just say, i think your husband is brill on tv, and you have a very beautiful family
my other half loves to eat, but wont cook,he is just not interested.
i try, but im not very good. i suppose practice makes perfect eh?
xx

[ImNotOnline]

Do you use any cookbooks?

If so whos?

[TanaRamsay2008]

Sorry Armadillo, I was getting to you! I take the view that I can obsess over my kids diets at home and in snack boxes but have to relax about parties, they are not every week and I do not want them to be the odd one out not able to eat party food. So yes, they can eat the crap!

Tana

[ladytophamhatt]

if you have time to answer I'd love to knwo what you do with a child who argues about everyuthing.

Every minor detail of everyday things.

I choose my battles. I don't retaliate. I talk to him, I ask him not to argue I've tried everuthing.

I'm at my witts end TBH.

He genuinely doen't seem ahppy unless causing conflict somewhere in teh house.

Any ideas?

I really have tried everything

[ImnotMamaGbutsheLovesMe]

Who proof reads your books?

I have 2 of them and there is a mistake or two.

Some of your recipes are really delicious and some are very interesting.

[cupchar]

Thanks Tana!

(Puzzlerocks - cupchar is not missing anything )

[DonDons]

[TanaRamsay2008]

Iamnotonline,

Yes, I love cookbooks, Nigella, Jamie, Gordon, Hugh, all of them, but Love Nigel Slaters as he cooks from what he has left in the fridge and store cupboard whilst buying one main ingredient and that is how I like to cook.

Tana

[muppetgirl]

pick me! Pick me!

I'd love to be able to say
'I know Tana Ramsay's favourite colour....oh yes I asked her this afternoon'

[whoops]

what about me!
ds is underweight, very fussy and also now needs to have a low salt diet, what sort of thing would you suggest with him being so fussy, he'll eat fish fingers and sausages and not much more than that!

[whoops]

but I would like to feed him wider range of foods too

[ImNotOnline]

Thanks for answering my question

Do you have to hide any of them from Gordon?

[PuzzleRocks]

Cupchar - Oh it is you! Glad you didn't miss your celebrity endorsement.

[TanaRamsay2008]

Iamnotmamagbutshelovesme

Oh no! Just checking you were reading them. Sorry about the mistake (or two,) will blame my editor as she deals with the proof reading. English never was my best subject...

Glad you like the books though x

[PuzzleRocks]

Cupchar - oh it is you! Glad you didn't miss your celebrity endorsement.

[ImnotMamaGbutsheLovesMe]

OMG Tana spoke to me!!!

[TheArmadillo]

ta for answering

Good for you. I like it when people don't overobsess being careful about your kids diet is one thing, being obsessed is weird.

[pucca]

Iamnotmamagbutshelovesme...You even got a x on the end

[ImNotOnline]

I didn't get an x

[TanaRamsay2008]

Ladytophamhatt,

I think they are all capable of going through this stage, one of mine spent a good few months being so confrontational and I really had to be firm but fair. Sometimes they really push out all the stops but you have to remember they all find comfort in boundaries and need to know the limits.

Whilst understanding their frustration you have to be firm and not come across as a pushover - it does eventually end and you will get your son/daughter back to being the one you enjoy being around!

Hope this helps,

Tana