Parents let their kids eat trash?

Tebbspcad

Loved this thread - as a parent to 3 kids, getting them to eat ANYTHING remotely vegetable based can sometimes be a struggle but over the course of a week i'd say they had a balanced diet and not one of my kids is overweight, in fact they are too skinny in my eyes and need to be fattened up!

RockinTerri

As a parent myself, I know that my daughter gets nutritional foods into her everyday. But kids enjoy mac & cheese, pb&j sandwiches, spaghetti, chicken nuggets, cheeseburgers, pizza, chips, ice cream. I try to get her a healthy balance between "kid-friendly" foods and healthy foods.

On a side note, when I recently made steamed cauliflower for dinner with my mom over, I added some cheese to it (for my mom, who doesn't like it plain). My daughter refused to eat any with cheese on it, so I had to find some without cheese. So I know that she enjoys healthy foods too! :happy:

Julzanne72

This reminds me of my own childhood. Day after day, I was fed peanut butter sandwiches and sugary cereals, when all I really wanted was some beets and brussels sprouts. I called Child Services for the first time at age 4, when my parents tried to make me eat fried chicken instead of the grilled tilapia I had been begging them for.

*ptsd kicking back in*

^^^^^this is hilarious!!!!!!!!

megalin9

I'll just start forcing my son's mouth open while I straddle him and hold his arms down and push green beans and carrots and fish into his mouth.

:noway:

Reminds me of that scene from Baby Mama where Tina Fey's character is trying to get Amy Poehler's character to take a prenatal vitamin. Ha.

jogglesngoggles

Because I'm not a line cook, chef, or anyone who really even enjoys being in the kitchen, my kids eat what I eat! I do see this all of the time where parents are willing to cook 2 meals to appease picky children. I think it starts very young, my kids eat what is put in front of them, or they go hungry...I think my youngest has turned down dinner once and came back later to eat it because she was hungry.

It's really laziness on my part, but in all seriousness I think the healthy habits have to start when they are young. It's very sad how many people thing "oh they're just kids" not realizing they are setting them up for potential weight/health problems later in life. I think we all do the best we know how though and hopefully we'll all turn out ok

coffeehousebrat

And here I thought you meant actual trash.

bootsiejayne

It's really unfair to judge someone's parenting skills in food related areas based on one meal. For example, I NEVER buy soda of any kind for our house. All my kids ever get to drink at home is water or milk. They eat lean meats and tons of vegetables. Seriously my 6 year old complains if we are out of broccoli or cauliflower. However, when we go out to eat, a rare occasion mind you, I'll let him get chicken fingers or mac & cheese because that's stuff we never have at home. And he always picks Dr Pepper. He is 6 and weighs 48 lbs. We eat very healthy. He will absolutely reprimand my parents for even having potato chips in their kitchen, but he also understands that going out to eat is a treat and it is not an every day lifestyle. Teaching your children balance in the real world is the largest part of good parenting regarding eating habits and everything else.

NYCNika

I do judge though. I think we all do, we just have different thresholds.

When I see a toddler with a soft drink or a juice drink, or when a family with kids is loading up their cart with cereals that have sugar in their fist ingredient and cookies and pop-tarts I feel bad that the kids are getting a rotten start in life health-wise. But I of course don't say anything. It is not like my comment would suddenly make the parent care and change their lifestyle.

But do you see what is in their whole cart? or just whats on top? I can guarantee you that if you looked in my cart, you would think I'm ADD with my shopping, even though you are only looking at half of it (as I go to two grocery stores and am shopping for two weeks) and I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be able to see the fruits and vegetables or whole foods that I have in my cart unless you were standing behind me watching me unload my cart. And even all that was in my cart was chips and cereal and snack crackers... again, how do you know that is my ONLY shopping trip? Every two weeks I go to three places to do my shopping... Target for the mass produced stuff (and some fresh produce) which includes but not limited to, spices, seasonings, frozen food, anything pre-packaged... then I go to Safeway for most of my produce, all of my meat and deli purchases and anything pre-packaged there that is on sale for cheaper, then I go to a localish dairy/fast food resturant chain called Braum's for milk and butter (it just tastes better because it's fresher than the stuff in other grocer chains). My point is, you shouldn't judge based on what's in a persons cart.

The supermarket I go to is the best for fresh produce. Cheaper supermarkets would probably be more money saving for processed foods.

I totally understand that some people eat this stuff just occasionally. Eating cereal "occasionally" in our household means it takes our family about a month to get through one box. If I was going through a box a week I would put it down as "regularly". That, coupled with the weight of the family and the fact that everything in the carts has massive amounts of sugar, does lead one to a certain snap judgements (which might be wrong in a small minority of cases). There might be an exception and other reasons why people are shopping like that on that particular day. But really, most of the time if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is a duck. And the fact that there are exceptions means most of the time "the rule" is what is happening.

SpeSHul_SnoflEHk

Please don't allow your children to eat from the trash can.

Exactly what I was thinking when I came in here. I had this vision in my head....



I'm really surprised all the "What makes that trash?" arguments haven't shown up yet.

Orfygirl

I do judge though. I think we all do, we just have different thresholds.

When I see a toddler with a soft drink or a juice drink, or when a family with kids is loading up their cart with cereals that have sugar in their fist ingredient and cookies and pop-tarts I feel bad that the kids are getting a rotten start in life health-wise. But I of course don't say anything. It is not like my comment would suddenly make the parent care and change their lifestyle.

But do you see what is in their whole cart? or just whats on top? I can guarantee you that if you looked in my cart, you would think I'm ADD with my shopping, even though you are only looking at half of it (as I go to two grocery stores and am shopping for two weeks) and I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be able to see the fruits and vegetables or whole foods that I have in my cart unless you were standing behind me watching me unload my cart. And even all that was in my cart was chips and cereal and snack crackers... again, how do you know that is my ONLY shopping trip? Every two weeks I go to three places to do my shopping... Target for the mass produced stuff (and some fresh produce) which includes but not limited to, spices, seasonings, frozen food, anything pre-packaged... then I go to Safeway for most of my produce, all of my meat and deli purchases and anything pre-packaged there that is on sale for cheaper, then I go to a localish dairy/fast food resturant chain called Braum's for milk and butter (it just tastes better because it's fresher than the stuff in other grocer chains). My point is, you shouldn't judge based on what's in a persons cart.

I agree. I have 6 people that live in my house and I honestly go to more then 3 different stores to get the best deals. I get the worst looks when I go to Walmart to get my pre packaged stuff or spices there, but I look like a health freak when I go to Hannaford to get my fresh fruits and veggies. Not to mention none of you see me picking my fresh raspberries, strawberries, beans, peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, chives and other fresh fruits and veggies from my garden at home. So before you judge what is in someone's cart at the store, you should really think about situations like this.

kmbweber2014

My son loves the meals I make which include brussel sprouts, spinach, carrots (which are his favorites), tofu, and beets. When we go out it is usually a treat so the little man can eat which ever item he wants on the menu, which is typically chicken nuggets and fries.

alimarie53

One of my neighbor's has a daughter that has Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and she has to eat a HIGH fat and HIGH salt diet due to how her body processes food. Whenever we are out for a bbq or dinner other parents seem to give her eyes whenever she's putting loads of butter on the bread or putting more salt on a burger. She also gives fruits and veggies, but people notice the negative and don't even know her child's condition.

Personally, like everyone else, my kids eat what I make at home which will be balanced. When we are out they pick what they want. Why waste money on something they wont eat? Why have them throw a fit in public because I'm making them eat bland chicken and a salad? I will admit that sometimes I make easy dinners like mac and cheese or hot dogs... But this isn't all the time. There is balance.

waldo56

Kids will not eat healthy if parents don't. It just won't happen. Children want to eat what parents eat.

This. More than anything kids learn from your example.

If they grow up in a household where their parents eat well and exercise regularly, they will go off into the world knowing how to live life eating well and exercising regularly (even if they never really even do themselves, you will at least have provided the know-how).

If the kids don't want to, forcing them really doesn't help all that much (and pretty much just encourages rebellion). And if you're not leading by example, you are just confusing them or making them a victim (why me and not you?).

neandermagnon

That's why there's so much obesity. You learn the bad habits young that carry on into adulthood.

I know parents who do not feed their kids sugar or processed foods at all and the kids are not deprived and they love the food they eat because it's all they know. They don't have ADHD, are healthy and love, love, love fruit as a dessert and eat veggies like candy and nuts and avocado and coconut oil for fat. It's the way it should be in a healthy world.

ADHD is a neurological condition which is genetic, it's not caused by food. Some kids may have reactions to certain foods that makes them hyperactive temporarily but it's not the same thing.

My kids are healthy, eat a healthy diet and my oldest daughter has dyslexia and inattentive ADHD. She inherited them from me, because they're genetic. And she's well behaved, although certain aspects of her behaviour and learning need to be managed a little differently to other children. But you wouldn't know that she had ADHD If you met her and I didn't tell you.

reneeopruitt

My child eats the junk food at restaurants because my kid will only eat things she recognizes. She is used to what our healthy homemade meals look like. Trying something new is a big battle. At restaurants I know she will eat mac and cheese because she can identify it.
She really does eat mostly healthy, but I do not have the energy to battle over food all the time. There are days when she insists on living off of goldfish. I have to admit that I just let her because I don't want to be awake at 3 am feeding a hungry child.

RGv2

That's why there's so much obesity. You learn the bad habits young that carry on into adulthood.

I know parents who do not feed their kids sugar or processed foods at all and the kids are not deprived and they love the food they eat because it's all they know. They don't have ADHD, are healthy and love, love, love fruit as a dessert and eat veggies like candy and nuts and avocado and coconut oil for fat. It's the way it should be in a healthy world.

My kids love fruit, yogurt, and eat veggies like candy, but can't wait for Buffalo Wild Wings this weekend.....weird.

jwdieter

My 4 yr old likes peas and broccoli. Does not like zucchini or mushrooms. Does not like fruit, except mandarin oranges. I've found a lot of restaurants do not have peas or broccoli or mandarin orange sides. So f'k it, she gets fries when we're out, and she gets her greens and fruit at home.

harleykat64

First let me say I'm a mother of 4 and step mother to 3. The excuses to feed kids garbage on here are just amazing...picky eaters, that's all they have on the kids menu. Blah, blah blah... Hey guess what, you don't HAVE to order from the kids menu, you can *gasp* order them something a bit more healthy from the adult menu and split it between you and them, since we all know the portion sizes at restaurants are way too big. So why is it all the picky children only live in the US or the overindulged European nations? How is it a Asian child can eat vegetables, lean meats and rice, but an american child has a special tongue that can't handle it? I lived in the Phillippines when I was 8-12 years old and the things my young tongue ate would just blow your mind. Squid, fish head soup, stir fry, etc and I liked it. I was taught you eat what is given to you or don't eat at all, which my kids are taught now too. My 3 year old and 5 year old love baked fish, beans, quinoa, asparagus, greek yogurt, etc...all the things I eat. Making excuses is just lazy parenting if you ask me. It's an epidemic of lazy, spoiled over indulged people turning their children into the same thing.

Where is that high horse gif?

I don't think that high horse remark was called for. The quoted post makes a great deal of sense, that it's cultural and has to do with what the parents eat. I thought that was the best response on this thread. Some of the responses bother me, i.e., making McDirty foods ,fried food, nuggets, etc., into "rewards" or "treats" to be indulged in when the family goes out.

It's an epidemic of lazy, spoiled over indulged people turning their children into the same thing.

High horse is high.

Beat me to it. Thanks! :flowerforyou:

Beat me to it also.

This is just more of the same parenting arguments

I breastfed why can't you, your a bad parent.
My child eats a perfect vegan diet why can't yours, your a bad parent.
My child is in three after school sports why can't yours, your a bad parent.
My child can read chapter books at age 1 why can't yours, your a bad parent.
My child gets vaccinated why can't yours, your a bad parent.

Do you beat your child? Do you lock them in a basement chained to a wall? Do you purposefully starve them? Do you ignore them constantly? Do you abuse them? Did you sell your child to the highest bidder?
answer no to all of the above? Guess what your NOT a bad parent!

When it comes to food, yes there are cultural differences, but I can guarendamntee you that there are picky children in other cultures also. Pull the stick out people and start working together instead against each other.

dnunny70

My kids eat what I make. I do sometimes make them (and dh) a side (carb) that I won't eat.

We just had homemade carrot cake pancakes with fresh shredded carrots. They gobbled them up. My 6 year old actually found the recipe. My kids eat salads.

Going out to eat-say Olive Garden; older one will order salmon (he does tend to order that when we go out-he loves salmon); or a pasta dish. My younger son will get ravioli sometimes with a meatball; but not always. We do tend to select Olive Garden when we go to a sit down place because the kids eat their entire meal.

Fast food places-apples instead of french fries.

I'm not going to say that they haven't eat junk...they have...but not an every day or every week thing. They have had lunchables. My younger son actually likes school lunches! Next year my high schooler must bring a lunch (no cafeteria at the school).

I set the the example...they see that I'm making healthier choices. This summer we've all had more water to drink. I've been trying to encourage that for years!

I'm not going to judge other parents...we all do what we think is best for our children/family.

WendyTerry420

Loved this thread - as a parent to 3 kids, getting them to eat ANYTHING remotely vegetable based can sometimes be a struggle but over the course of a week i'd say they had a balanced diet and not one of my kids is overweight, in fact they are too skinny in my eyes and need to be fattened up!

I only have two, but um...yep.

As babies, they ate smooshed veggies all the time. But once they started walking and talking, it's "Ewww...no...yuck..." (Well, mostly my son. My daughter eats most veggies, and she is the one that could stand to lose a few pounds. My son is slender and strong and never eats veggies other than green beans, or when I pulverize them and slip them into sauces.