Nephew’s behaviour

[BluegrassAndRoses]

My Nephew is 9. When he visits he complains a lot, for example the latest was that he is hungry but doesn’t want anything we offer. He had refused to eat the dinner his parents had made for him. He then agrees to eat something but very quickly puts it down and says ‘this x is horrible. It’s the worst tasting x I’ve ever had’.

This is quite rude behaviour. At his age, surely we should be explaining that he shouldn’t be so obviously negative about something kind someone else has done for him? Of course when he was offered cake he managed to eat it all.

He's not my child and were following his parents lead but curious to know how other parents would handle this. His parent has quite a passive parenting style.

The current battle in our house is teaching our three year old to say "all done thank you" instead of "I don't like this".

The previous battle was getting her to actually sit at the table but we stuck with it and she's slowly getting it.

Parenting is a battle sometimes without any SEN a nine year old really should know what is acceptable behaviour at the table

I'd probably have said...
Oh dear. Pity you didnt eat your dinner at home because now you're going to be hungry...

And never cooked any thing for him ever again....

Tbh it sounds like he's a fussy eater and needs to be reminded of his manners sometimes, that's all. Not crimes of the century.

The food thing is relatively straightforward - he doesn't need to eat or even try anything he doesn't want to but he needs to learn the art of declining gracefully. Tbh with family children who you know are fussy, I don't think it's too much to ask to offer an (unexciting) alternative if they're eating in your house. Not a second meal but something like cereal or toast. Food issues are complex and ideally food shouldn't be made a source of stress or disapproval for children.