This is a constant battle at our house. I make (or Ryan makes) something for dinner and we mostly hear complaints about "not liking" the food, "I have a tummy ache" or "I want this or that." It feels like it's getting worse. We feel like we've tried everything, from "okay, what would you like then?" to "tough beans, you need to eat it or you can go to bed hungry." Then the fighting, whining and crying begins. I'm not up for that. It appears we can't please everyone. So where's the balance?? Some nights we ask them what they'd like for dinner and often times they can't agree on the same dish and if they do, we can't eat that 5 nights in a row. I don't think this whole dinner thing should be a constant battle. I don't want to be a short order chef, and I think my kids need to be reminded to be grateful for the food we prepare and eat it. So, is it tough beans? What works for you?
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2 years ago
9 comments:
Must be the age because we are always having this battle at my house. I don't even like to make dinner and it's especially worse when the kids act rotton about it and we can't even sit through a meal without all the fighting about how many bites must be taken before they can make their own pb & j and going to bed hungry. BUT, I learned a valuable lesson a few weeks ago. Johnny & Maggie each took turns taking a night to help make dinner, and they ate it, and were more insulted when someone else didn't like it after their hard work. So now, they help with the menu and they LOVE their night to cook and we've had a lot less bickering and more eating (except from Josie, who is a different story). Good luck!
Thankfully we are getting past that...slowly. Only we end up eating the same things every other week it seems. Sometimes before we go shopping we let our kids pick what the menu is so that everyone gets one thing that week that they like. Now we just need to branch out. I look forward every Friday for date night so that I can pick what I want!
NO STINKING CLUE!! I'm tuning in to everyone else's comments because we are going through that same daily and ever-so-peaceful battle. Howie's favorite way to try to get out of eating is to say that he's saving it for later. They have to grow out of it sometime don't they?
My biggest thing is just to get Ashley to eat, period! Blake is pretty good to eat what I make, because he and Eric are the exact same! If you got a text from me just ignore it, I was trying to text megan but ended up texting like 25 people. I don't understand my new phone! I swear I am having a week from you know where, and it is just Tuesday!!
In our house we do every week either Sariah picks and helps cook the meal and then the opposite week Cassie does in between Keith and I choose and it is you get what you get or you get nothin' at all!! Seems to be working.
Amber
I don't know how my kids ended up picky when I make something different for dinner almost every night! I make them try bites of the part of the meal that they're not sure of and I try to make sure that there is something on the table that I know they'll eat - like their favorite vegetable and some kind of bread. Sometimes they don't eat so well at dinner, but they always have a great breakfast - one perk of the B&B! I also ask them what they would like sometimes when I am planning the menu. I like the idea about getting them to help cook the meal that they chose for the week. Probably means more work for you, but hopefully then they'll eat it and you're also teaching them great lessons!
It is tough beans in our house. We remind them when they get a favorite dish, and remind them when someone else is enjoying a favorite dish so they shouldn't complain. Whoever complains has to help with the next meal. Or whoever does somethign special that day gets to help and sometimes choose the meal. But mostly, Brett has inspired the kids to try everything once, and going to bed wihtout eating is preferable to complaining - because the result will be the same. So they try hard to say what they "prefer" instead of what they don't like so they dont' get prematurely booted. We've talked a lot about how humans can go for a week without food so mom isn't opposed to booting naysayers for one evening.
I know some families around here say," You can have what is made or there's the peanut butter and jelly." They have to make it! If I get too many complaints I say ,"fine it's your turn to make dinner tomorrow" that usually helps. Sometimes I send a child to decide with all the kids what they can all agree on for dinner. Good luck!
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