Childhood Obesity= CHILD ABUSE

rexroars

I definitely agree that it has to be a case by case decision, but it is DEFINITELY child abuse in some cases. Severe obesity can do as much damage to a child's body as some other physical abuses...

likitisplit

Getting a kid to eat that stuff is. What do you do then? Put a feeding tube in? Let them "not eat at all then" and then you are abusive for not feeding them enough? Until you have kids of your own don't talk to me about how to feed them.

No, it's actually not.. IF you started when they were BABIES. The problem comes when parents are not 'parenting' and they let the kids get away with not eating and throwing tantrums until they get something else. My cousins are ALL like this, my sister in law was like this and all her kids are like this.. Our child knows that if he doesn't eat what is put in front of him he does not get a special dinner made just for him. Unfortunately once you go down that path of letting them get away with poor behavior it becomes impossible to change.

This is the same silliness as parents who let their kids wear the same outfit every day because the kid won't wear anything else. Your job as a parent is to PARENT FIRST. If your children throw tantrums or whine, or cry or don't listen CONSTANTLY (because all kids do it occasionally)..You did it to yourself.

When I was weaning my child we started out with vegetables first... and then fruit... and like I stated before she would eat a lot of them... until she turned this magical age of THREE... she does not get a special dinner... never has never will (I don't do it for me, my husband or my child... do I need to use the "ain't nobody got time for that" img again)... she still won't eat whats on her plate. She still prefers snacks (and of course she doesn't get them in lieu of meals) and bread and rice.

My theory is that they NEED a high-fat, high-carb diet through the "I'm not eating years." They freaking live on crackers and air. At four, they start responding to "three bites" but you have to have something good to reinforce that with, and I'm not about to start paying my kids to eat.

DeltaZero

When my dad was alive it was "You eat what's in front of you or you don't". He was a marine. Let's just say, I wasn't a picky eater.

Its interesting. Apparently its abusive to feed kids healthy food nowadays, since they'd rather eat crap. Of course they would! They're kids. Kids like crap. Fortunately, kids don't get to call the shots. At least I didn't. And I rather enjoyed the wholesome food I was raised on. Would I have rather had a cheeseburger? Sure. But...that was available so that's not what I ate.

Are you saying cheeseburgers aren't wholesome food? Well now I know you've lost it.

The weakness of your lack of argument shines through every personal attack.

A hamburger obviously CAN be, but since you seem unaware, the landslide majority of hamburger consumption comes from crappy fast food. Goes without saying that I'm not referring to the real deal. At least it should lol.

I haven't attacked you personally once.

It's because your opinions will not match his. Thus you are an uneducated internet bully. Just out to troll him and his expert advice he is trying to provide all of the parents in here. From his years of being a non-parent.

It's more the "now I know you've lost it" statement.

I think it's because we are not valuing his opinions.

Grumpsandwich

The weakness of your lack of argument shines through every personal attack.

A hamburger obviously CAN be, but since you seem unaware, the landslide majority of hamburger consumption comes from crappy fast food. Goes without saying that I'm not referring to the real deal. At least it should lol.

You wanna talk weak arguments?

You're a non-parent, telling other parents how easy it is to make their kids eat healthy food, when you clearly have a problem doing it just for yourself, much less anyone else, much less a child.

You may not like that it's personal. But I don't like people with no idea what they're talking about lecturing others.

There are not enough "boom"s for this post.

BTW i am a parent of a TRUE picky eater.. And he WOULD starve himself if he didnt like a certain food.. This a kid will eat eventually when they are hungry. How good would a parent be if a kid refused dinner because he didnt like it and wouldnt eat breakfast then had to go to school hungry.. It happens. Have you any IDEA how stubborn children really are? See how long you last as an actual parent when the true loves of your life do this. Soooo tell me how you can force a child to eat what they dont want? I really would love to know.. So please enlighten me.... My father was a marine. When i didnt want something I would be forced to sit there until it was eaten. If i still wouldnt eat it I would get cuffed upside the head. Try doing something like that today

SomeNights246

It's not always the parents' fault... My daughter is 9 and loves to eat. She's been putting weight on over the last 6 months or so and is overweight. When we go shopping, I try to educate her about food and give her healthy alternatives to sweets and 'junk' food. I ensure she has fresh fruit and vegetables to snack on and encourage her to think about why she's eating (for instance, she'll say "I'm bored, can I have an ice cream?"). I tell her how the body works, that food is energy and if we don't use all the energy our bodies keep it as fat for another time. I don't restrict her from having treats, but they are just that, treats; not an everyday occurrence. However, she'll trade lunches with kids at school and will come home with chocolate wrappers in her pockets or if she has pocket money she'll go to the shops with her brothers and spend it all on crisps, fizzy drinks, sweets... I do my best to ensure that she gets a healthy, varied diet but I feel like she is sabotaging my efforts and ultimately herself. I don't want to make such a big deal of it that she develops an eating disorder or a dysfunctional relationship with food but I feel I can't just leave her to her own devices. I was a chubby teen and I was miserable. I believe I set a good example now with my eating habits and I get plenty of exercise and encourage her to do the same but I'm acutely aware that there's a fine line between encouraging someone to be healthy and forcing them into doing something they don't want and potentially causing a bigger problem further down the line.

I'm pretty stumped as to what to do...

P.S. My daughter may only be 9 1/2 but she is very forward and switched on, for those that may think she's unable to understand what I'm trying to teach her. She has started going through puberty already so I'm sure this is a contributing factor to her weight gain.

9 1/2 is too early to go thru puberty. High body fat % is a CAUSE of early puberty, not a result.
If she has just started to gain weight rapidly over the past 6 months, I would look at what has changed in her world in that period of time. Divorce? Move? change in friends? Has she seemed more anxious or depressed the last 6 months? There most likely is an underlying problem that you may or may not be aware of. Seek outside help if needed.

My kids never had pocket money at that age. There was no need for them to have money, as I was always with them to pay for anything they needed. Is she left without adult supervision very often?

So much of what you said is so wrong that I just don't even know how to respond.

I knew someone in 4th grade who had her first period at 9. She definitely did not have a high body fat %. She was thinner than the rest of us! Geeze. Premature puberty is not unheard of. And - take it from someone who lives and grew up in a lower economical area - is VERY common in poorer communities. There are a plethora of reasons. Weight can be one, yes. Among stress, evolutionary/biological things, diet, genetics, etc.

As for the actual topic, while I think the OP's way of presenting it was a tad over the top... in some cases, she does have a point. I am not saying all overweight children should be taken by CPS. I am saying, though, that there is a fine line between a child being overweight and a child being morbidly obese. I had a friend whose toddler was bordering on obesity. She had CPS speak to her about it, educate her on how to manage it, and the child is now a healthy weight. A little education goes a long way. However, I have also seen parents who just could not care less. They get told to stop giving their kids pop and give them water, or to feed them healthier foods in moderation. Not even put them on a diet, mind you. Just change their lifestyle. And they act like it's a personal offense. As though it's normal for kids to be over 200 lbs and everyone is just bullying them and their kid.

I remember seeing an article about some of the most obese people in the world or something. I don't know, it was floating around for a while. A couple of the people on the list were children. One was eleven. We are not necessarily talking about just being overweight here. I feel both sides make it about that without considering the alternative. It is unfair to target kids who are overweight, as that can be normal. Growth spurts, awkward stages, etc. However, this does not make morbid obesity acceptable. If a child is morbidly obese then I would say that yeah, that kind of is neglect.

k8blujay2

Getting a kid to eat that stuff is. What do you do then? Put a feeding tube in? Let them "not eat at all then" and then you are abusive for not feeding them enough? Until you have kids of your own don't talk to me about how to feed them.

No, it's actually not.. IF you started when they were BABIES. The problem comes when parents are not 'parenting' and they let the kids get away with not eating and throwing tantrums until they get something else. My cousins are ALL like this, my sister in law was like this and all her kids are like this.. Our child knows that if he doesn't eat what is put in front of him he does not get a special dinner made just for him. Unfortunately once you go down that path of letting them get away with poor behavior it becomes impossible to change.

This is the same silliness as parents who let their kids wear the same outfit every day because the kid won't wear anything else. Your job as a parent is to PARENT FIRST. If your children throw tantrums or whine, or cry or don't listen CONSTANTLY (because all kids do it occasionally)..You did it to yourself.

When I was weaning my child we started out with vegetables first... and then fruit... and like I stated before she would eat a lot of them... until she turned this magical age of THREE... she does not get a special dinner... never has never will (I don't do it for me, my husband or my child... do I need to use the "ain't nobody got time for that" img again)... she still won't eat whats on her plate. She still prefers snacks (and of course she doesn't get them in lieu of meals) and bread and rice.

My theory is that they NEED a high-fat, high-carb diet through the "I'm not eating years." They freaking live on crackers and air. At four, they start responding to "three bites" but you have to have something good to reinforce that with, and I'm not about to start paying my kids to eat.

Thankfully, my child will eat her meals at daycare.... thank you peer pressure!!! I think there is something to that though! We tell her (she is a pretty smart kid) that if she doesn't eat her dinner (at it doesn't have to be a lot, just a couple of bites here and there) that she won't get a snack later... that usually gets her to eat. and if not, oh well.

devil_in_a_blue_dress

Do you have the luxury of stay at home with your children? Yes, I know, you dabble with your non-profit, but if I remember correctly from its web page you either home school or hope to. I am not bringing that up to be a jerk, but that kind of thing is an opportunity that a lot of women don't have. Which is why you, of all the people here, should understand the reality that equal access is kind of a thing.

The 21 year old bit of my quote, which this person removed from its context was referring to the OP, not adult children.

You don't have a very high opinion of me, do you?

Yes, I stay home. I run a non-profit and a small business, and I home school my kids. I'm incredibly lucky to be in the situation I am - and we work hard to keep it that way. I fully believe that every woman deserves the choices that I have - and more.

I did not realize your quote was taken out of context. I haven't had a chance to read the whole thread. But apparently I've upset you somehow, so I'll apologize.

I don't actually have any opinion of you. You seem to think when people challenge you, they don't like you. It's really odd because that only leaves you people agreeing with you so your feelings don't get hurt.

Again, you cut the quote off, but I was responding to you agreeing with somebody that is arguing that obese children should be removed from their homes because foods, kitchens, and computers are easy to come by. I just stated that seemed odd coming from somebody who helps people gain access to resources.

I don't like long quotes on the page, it's a little pet peeve of mine, so I often cut them down.

I don't think people don't like me when they challenge me in the least. I'm sorry that that's your impression of me.

I already explained that I didn't realize the quote was cut off and taken out of context - the *only* thing I agreed with was that parents don't have much luck influencing their adult children. I still believe that. No where did I agree with his assertions that people should just "read a book" or force their kids to eat in a certain way.

In fact, if you read any other post I've made in this thread, you'd see that I agree with you. Agreeing with one single point of a persons argument doesn't mean you agree with everything they say, ever.

Ah yes, but when you cut quotes off because it's your pet peeve (you case) or to make an irrelevant point (that other dude) and and then say "I agree with you" that makes what you are actually saying much harder to figure out.

PRMinx

I don't have kids, but I know I was impossible during some of my younger years. If it wasn't peanut butter and jelly, I wasn't eating it! Needless to say, there were nights I went to bed hungry.

When I got a little older, say 8 or so, my taste buds changed dramatically and I started eating more things (except I hid my brussel sprouts under my baked potato). I was raised in a home with fresh cooking all the time and my Mom would make my sister and I help her in the kitchen. I think this had a bigger impact on healthy eating habits than anything else - being part of the meal process made me proud of my work and so I wanted to eat it.

Also, my Dad was always very active and, since I wanted to spend time with him, exercise was a big part of my childhood.

But, all that said, there were years when I was really hard to feed. For sure.

likitisplit

Getting a kid to eat that stuff is. What do you do then? Put a feeding tube in? Let them "not eat at all then" and then you are abusive for not feeding them enough? Until you have kids of your own don't talk to me about how to feed them.

No, it's actually not.. IF you started when they were BABIES. The problem comes when parents are not 'parenting' and they let the kids get away with not eating and throwing tantrums until they get something else. My cousins are ALL like this, my sister in law was like this and all her kids are like this.. Our child knows that if he doesn't eat what is put in front of him he does not get a special dinner made just for him. Unfortunately once you go down that path of letting them get away with poor behavior it becomes impossible to change.

This is the same silliness as parents who let their kids wear the same outfit every day because the kid won't wear anything else. Your job as a parent is to PARENT FIRST. If your children throw tantrums or whine, or cry or don't listen CONSTANTLY (because all kids do it occasionally)..You did it to yourself.

LOL. My kids were so awesome about eating the healthiest stuff when they were babies. They adored my chicken stew. One of their favorites was a puree with chicken, tomatoes, cucumber and avocado. My oldest would forgo puffs and eat all the green beans until they were gone. All of them. In the pot, not just what she was served. She'd eat all kinds of fruit and vegetables and chicken and even some fish if it hadn't been previously frozen. I was so proud of my parenting/cooking abilities.

_KitKat_

In to read later....

You might be able to make an argument for neglect, but I too think that the leap to abuse is untenable.

I am responsible for what my children eat. I am responsible for bringing healthy food into our home, preparing it, teaching them how to prepare it, shop for it, budget for it, etc. This is one of my duties as a parent. If I'm not doing it, I see it as neglectful, especially because I know better.

I agree with this. Calling it abuse would overwhelm and already stressed system. I do think it should be monitored by doctors and if needed counseling should be available. If the parents has issues with food they would need help to be able to help their kids.

I will admit it upsets me when I see an obese child, as a parent I can not see allowing a health issue to happen and not doing everything in my power to stop or prevent it but how can a parent that has no clue about portion size teach portions and moderation to a child when they are unable.

Something does need done, unfortunately there is no right way or one size fit all solution.

I find it neglectful when people have overweight animals as well, people should not project their unhealthy issues onto those that can't fend for themselves.

patriciapowerswilliamson

I work at a Health Care company who specializes in assisting Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetics manage their disease. Type 2 diabetes is growing in epidemic proportions in this country where we super size EVERYTHING. The burden on the health care system is becoming overwhelming, with we the tax payer paying for it one way or another. I agree with most who posted that children should not be put up for adoption, that is cruel and hurtful to the child. Something has to happen though, I personally boycott fast food places and refuse to buy a lot of processed foods. It's a tough decision but that's the road that has to be taken in order for us to see real shifts in this country. Demand produces supply which is why there are so many fast food places and "convenience food."

(On smaller scale, Subway just removed HFC's, staturated fats and some chemical used in yoga mats from their breads. This is due to the non-GMO movement and the "farm to table' movement that is happening now.)

Something else I thought about, I am older of course and I do remember having to take Physical Education and play sports all through school (including high school.) We as a nation seemed to have moved away from this unfortunately.

Anyhow, I agree with most of what was posted.

Jess732008

Childhood obesity is not child abuse. I was fat as a child about 15-40 lbs overweight at different times. My mom cooked good meals and they took me out to exercise. I had a wonderful home. Everyone in my family was thin except me. I was the one eating the food and would eat it in secret. Kids can get food from a vending machine or local 7-11 or from friends houses or relatives. It really is not the parents fault.

One of my other sisters is underweight, so she needed to gain weight. It really is a complicated issue. I mean do you cater to the thin child or the fat one? The only problem my mom continues to have is that she likes making dessert a couple maybe 1 or 2 times a week and they get a little junk food. Oh, and my mom got a degree in nutrition when she went to college so she knew how to be fairly healthy. She just wishes that she taught me more about portion control and reading nutritional information on food. My parents are great. I would not have wanted to be taken away from them for something they did not cause.

TheVirgoddess

Do you have the luxury of stay at home with your children? Yes, I know, you dabble with your non-profit, but if I remember correctly from its web page you either home school or hope to. I am not bringing that up to be a jerk, but that kind of thing is an opportunity that a lot of women don't have. Which is why you, of all the people here, should understand the reality that equal access is kind of a thing.

The 21 year old bit of my quote, which this person removed from its context was referring to the OP, not adult children.

You don't have a very high opinion of me, do you?

Yes, I stay home. I run a non-profit and a small business, and I home school my kids. I'm incredibly lucky to be in the situation I am - and we work hard to keep it that way. I fully believe that every woman deserves the choices that I have - and more.

I did not realize your quote was taken out of context. I haven't had a chance to read the whole thread. But apparently I've upset you somehow, so I'll apologize.

I don't actually have any opinion of you. You seem to think when people challenge you, they don't like you. It's really odd because that only leaves you people agreeing with you so your feelings don't get hurt.

Again, you cut the quote off, but I was responding to you agreeing with somebody that is arguing that obese children should be removed from their homes because foods, kitchens, and computers are easy to come by. I just stated that seemed odd coming from somebody who helps people gain access to resources.

I don't like long quotes on the page, it's a little pet peeve of mine, so I often cut them down.

I don't think people don't like me when they challenge me in the least. I'm sorry that that's your impression of me.

I already explained that I didn't realize the quote was cut off and taken out of context - the *only* thing I agreed with was that parents don't have much luck influencing their adult children. I still believe that. No where did I agree with his assertions that people should just "read a book" or force their kids to eat in a certain way.

In fact, if you read any other post I've made in this thread, you'd see that I agree with you. Agreeing with one single point of a persons argument doesn't mean you agree with everything they say, ever.

Ah yes, but when you cut quotes off because it's your pet peeve (you case) or to make an irrelevant point (that other dude) and and then say "I agree with you" that makes what you are actually saying much harder to figure out.

Fair point, I won't cut them anymore.

BrakemanSlova

I think a lot of really good parents are getting a lot of misinformation about what is good for their kids and perhaps they weren't taught good critical thinking skills re: advertisements. I think TV and the food industry are killing the kids.

Ang108

Wait a second? I'm to blame for my fat cat? What do you think I do, hold her down and shove kibble in her mouth?

You know when she got fat? When I took her in, spayed her and forced her into a sedentary indoor lifestyle. Lack of activity kills, but there is no way I could replicate the exercise she got outdoors.

I have had cats most of my life and I disagree with you. My cats were all neutered and most of the time lived in apartments with limited possibilities to be active. However I played with them every day, they had climbing trees and other chances to exercise. None of them were ever overweight , because there is this idea to control weight. The thought is " calories in, calories out ". It means that someone burns more calories than they ingest. You might not believe it, but it works for animals also. My last two normal weight cats died at 19 years and a few month and except for the last two years of their lives were very agile and active. My neighbor also has cats that are usually very overweight and do nothing but sleep and none of them has gotten older than 9 year........I wonder why that is.

_KitKat_

Getting a kid to eat that stuff is. What do you do then? Put a feeding tube in? Let them "not eat at all then" and then you are abusive for not feeding them enough? Until you have kids of your own don't talk to me about how to feed them.

No, it's actually not.. IF you started when they were BABIES. The problem comes when parents are not 'parenting' and they let the kids get away with not eating and throwing tantrums until they get something else. My cousins are ALL like this, my sister in law was like this and all her kids are like this.. Our child knows that if he doesn't eat what is put in front of him he does not get a special dinner made just for him. Unfortunately once you go down that path of letting them get away with poor behavior it becomes impossible to change.

This is the same silliness as parents who let their kids wear the same outfit every day because the kid won't wear anything else. Your job as a parent is to PARENT FIRST. If your children throw tantrums or whine, or cry or don't listen CONSTANTLY (because all kids do it occasionally)..You did it to yourself.

LOL. My kids were so awesome about eating the healthiest stuff when they were babies. They adored my chicken stew. One of their favorites was a puree with chicken, tomatoes, cucumber and avocado. My oldest would forgo puffs and eat all the green beans until they were gone. All of them. In the pot, not just what she was served. She'd eat all kinds of fruit and vegetables and chicken and even some fish if it hadn't been previously frozen. I was so proud of my parenting/cooking abilities.

I love this ↑

I tell my teenager, my job is not to be her friend, it is to be her Mom....she has plenty of friends but only one mom. She is open with me and at the same time knows I will have my opinion and it is only with her best interests at heart.

As for eating what is in front of them, I am strict about trying everything... I do not force food if I know they do not like it. I had that done as a kid and it served no purpose other than causing resentment. I do enforce eating dinner as a family and portion control. As for healthy foods, both of my girls love healthy stuff...but we have never placed a value on one food over another. I feel doing so makes the "naughty" food more appealing. Given the chose both of my girls normally chose the healthy option. I believe in choices even if it is just " do you want option 1 or 2 for lunch?". When kids are allowed to make choices and develops critical thinking, I feel it will serve them better in adulthood. Limiting choices with too much control, never allows the child to learn these important concepts and many times as adults they will be overwhelmed with too many choices and choose easy and anything they felt they were denied....all in all not a healthy mindset......Not saying any of the quoted area force food or denied choice, was just adding in my thoughts on the matter in a whole.

likitisplit

Wait a second? I'm to blame for my fat cat? What do you think I do, hold her down and shove kibble in her mouth?

You know when she got fat? When I took her in, spayed her and forced her into a sedentary indoor lifestyle. Lack of activity kills, but there is no way I could replicate the exercise she got outdoors.

I have had cats most of my life and I disagree with you. My cats were all neutered and most of the time lived in apartments with limited possibilities to be active. However I played with them every day, they has climbing trees and other chances to exercise. None of them were ever overweight , because there is this idea to control weight. The thought is " calories in, calories out ". It means that someone burns more calories than they ingest. You might not believe it, but it works for animals also. My last two normal weight cats died at 19 years and a few month and except for the last two years of their lives were very agile and active. My neighbor also has cats that are usually very overweight and none of them has gotten older than 9 year........I wonder why that is.

http://www.angelicalcat.com/rustic_cat_trees.shtml

We have trees.

Jess732008

No, not at all. I got fat because I ate, not because my parents forced me to. What a horrible message to send to that child as well. It'll completely mess up (further) the relationship that he/she has with food. Food is such a bad thing that it'll take your parents away. Really?!

I totally agree. My parents were my safe place as a child and I am sure many children feel the same way. Kids choose what they eat. it is not the parents fault. Plus, they are not always under your supervision about everything they are eating.

BoatsnHose

The weakness of your lack of argument shines through every personal attack.

A hamburger obviously CAN be, but since you seem unaware, the landslide majority of hamburger consumption comes from crappy fast food. Goes without saying that I'm not referring to the real deal. At least it should lol.

You wanna talk weak arguments?

You're a non-parent, telling other parents how easy it is to make their kids eat healthy food, when you clearly have a problem doing it just for yourself, much less anyone else, much less a child.

You may not like that it's personal. But I don't like people with no idea what they're talking about lecturing others.

There are not enough "boom"s for this post.

BTW i am a parent of a TRUE picky eater.. And he WOULD starve himself if he didnt like a certain food.. This a kid will eat eventually when they are hungry. How good would a parent be if a kid refused dinner because he didnt like it and wouldnt eat breakfast then had to go to school hungry.. It happens. Have you any IDEA how stubborn children really are? See how long you last as an actual parent when the true loves of your life do this. Soooo tell me how you can force a child to eat what they dont want? I really would love to know.. So please enlighten me.... My father was a marine. When i didnt want something I would be forced to sit there until it was eaten. If i still wouldnt eat it I would get cuffed upside the head. Try doing something like that today

Teach your kids to grow up and eat what you put in front of them. In many cases parents are scared of their kids and cave to their demands because instead of eating grilled chicken, they would rather eat a bowl of cinnamon toast crunch. I see this with my sister and her son often and it pisses me off. 6 year old kids should not be calling the shots to their parents.

BoatsnHose

I think TV and the food industry are killing the kids.

Lol at blaming the TV and food industry. It is peoples own responsibility to do their own research and determine their own nutritional needs as well as their kids. Blaming TV and the food industry is lazy and a cop out.

k8blujay2

The weakness of your lack of argument shines through every personal attack.

A hamburger obviously CAN be, but since you seem unaware, the landslide majority of hamburger consumption comes from crappy fast food. Goes without saying that I'm not referring to the real deal. At least it should lol.

You wanna talk weak arguments?

You're a non-parent, telling other parents how easy it is to make their kids eat healthy food, when you clearly have a problem doing it just for yourself, much less anyone else, much less a child.

You may not like that it's personal. But I don't like people with no idea what they're talking about lecturing others.

There are not enough "boom"s for this post.

BTW i am a parent of a TRUE picky eater.. And he WOULD starve himself if he didnt like a certain food.. This a kid will eat eventually when they are hungry. How good would a parent be if a kid refused dinner because he didnt like it and wouldnt eat breakfast then had to go to school hungry.. It happens. Have you any IDEA how stubborn children really are? See how long you last as an actual parent when the true loves of your life do this. Soooo tell me how you can force a child to eat what they dont want? I really would love to know.. So please enlighten me.... My father was a marine. When i didnt want something I would be forced to sit there until it was eaten. If i still wouldnt eat it I would get cuffed upside the head. Try doing something like that today

Teach your kids to grow up and eat what you put in front of them. In many cases parents are scared of their kids and cave to their demands because instead of eating grilled chicken, they would rather eat a bowl of cinnamon toast crunch. I see this with my sister and her son often and it pisses me off. 6 year old kids should not be calling the shots to their parents.

BUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! MY DH to this day STILL will not eat greens because of texture... He is his own person... his issues are his own now... And tell that to someone whose kid is somewhere on autism scale that has some major sensory issues.

DeltaZero

_HeartsOnFire_

HAHAHAHAHAHHAA.
:drinker:

TheVirgoddess

The weakness of your lack of argument shines through every personal attack.

A hamburger obviously CAN be, but since you seem unaware, the landslide majority of hamburger consumption comes from crappy fast food. Goes without saying that I'm not referring to the real deal. At least it should lol.

You wanna talk weak arguments?

You're a non-parent, telling other parents how easy it is to make their kids eat healthy food, when you clearly have a problem doing it just for yourself, much less anyone else, much less a child.

You may not like that it's personal. But I don't like people with no idea what they're talking about lecturing others.

There are not enough "boom"s for this post.

BTW i am a parent of a TRUE picky eater.. And he WOULD starve himself if he didnt like a certain food.. This a kid will eat eventually when they are hungry. How good would a parent be if a kid refused dinner because he didnt like it and wouldnt eat breakfast then had to go to school hungry.. It happens. Have you any IDEA how stubborn children really are? See how long you last as an actual parent when the true loves of your life do this. Soooo tell me how you can force a child to eat what they dont want? I really would love to know.. So please enlighten me.... My father was a marine. When i didnt want something I would be forced to sit there until it was eaten. If i still wouldnt eat it I would get cuffed upside the head. Try doing something like that today

Teach your kids to grow up and eat what you put in front of them. In many cases parents are scared of their kids and cave to their demands because instead of eating grilled chicken, they would rather eat a bowl of cinnamon toast crunch. I see this with my sister and her son often and it pisses me off. 6 year old kids should not be calling the shots to their parents.

So eating what is put in front of you is being a grown up? Then I guess I'm not a grown up. People aren't scared of their kids. They respect that kids are, believe it or not, actual human beings. And as human beings have preferences, tastes, thoughts and ideas all their own!

Why is it that parenting experts are always the ones without kids?

dbmata

I've never understood this constant claim that children are picky eaters.

It seems like a misstep in proper indoctrination. Personally, growing up my mom weaned me on sushi, and even though she ran her own business, and my stepdad was an otr truck driver at the time, there wasn't crap like frozen chicken nuggets. Spaghetti O's were a treat to be earned. My dad's mom, being a good german, fed me liverwurst, blutwurst, kraut, all those things that would turn you average kid apoplectic.

Now why is that? Aside from indoctrination and instilling a value of exploring food, how was I so different from the standard whiny kid who can't eat anything but goldfish, ketchup and chicken nuggets?

PtheronJr

The "You don't have kids." argument is moronic.
I also don't have a vagina, but I can still tell people that it's probably a good idea not to stick live animals up there.
Not feeding your kids garbage should go without saying, and no matter how "good" or "loving" a parent you are otherwise, you're still treating your kid like junk when that's what you feed them. You can be the most incredible parent otherwise but things in life don't just cancel each other out like that.
Kind of like how a parent can occasionally beat the crap out of their kid for doing things wrong but be a fantastic parent in every other way.

Also, as far as the subject of abuse goes, there are varying levels of it. People don't understand that humiliating their kids is emotional abuse (so many viral videos of parents thinking this is a great disciplinary idea). Or that locking their kid away for extensive periods of time with no stimulation isn't abuse. Or a myriad of other forms of abuse that don't require actual physical contact or explicit emotional abuse.

Just because someone else doesn't have kids, doesn't mean that their criticism of incredibly idiotic actions isn't valid. If you were murdering your child because he scuffed your sneakers it probably wouldn't be that random dude on the bus's error to tell you that it's a really bad idea.

I'm telling you that feeding your kids trash is terrible and has such a negative effect on their long and short term emotional health, physical health, eating habits, and understanding of the importance of good diet, that it can probably be considered some form of abuse to know all this and still make no effort to correct it.
I'm going to tell you it, and no matter how much you tell me otherwise, it will be an indisputable fact, just like smacking your kid isn't a viable form of discipline according to the massive amount of studies that condemn negative reinforcement. It's a fact.
Anecdotal evidence, insane semantic arguments regarding who has what or who has what life experience cannot eliminate the facts.

Please don't be a moron, and people won't judge you as such.

PRMinx

I've never understood this constant claim that children are picky eaters.

It seems like a misstep in proper indoctrination. Personally, growing up my mom weaned me on sushi, and even though she ran her own business, and my stepdad was an otr truck driver at the time, there wasn't crap like frozen chicken nuggets. Spaghetti O's were a treat to be earned. My dad's mom, being a good german, fed me liverwurst, blutwurst, kraut, all those things that would turn you average kid apoplectic.

Now why is that? Aside from indoctrination and instilling a value of exploring food, how was I so different from the standard whiny kid who can't eat anything but goldfish, ketchup and chicken nuggets?

OMG! Spaghetti-Os and Hot Pockets were the biggest treats ever. I pretty sure I scheduled sleep overs with one of my friends specifically for her Hot Pockets. My parents wouldn't let us have that stuff at all. At the time, THAT felt like child abuse. :laugh:

QueenBishOTUniverse

The weakness of your lack of argument shines through every personal attack.

A hamburger obviously CAN be, but since you seem unaware, the landslide majority of hamburger consumption comes from crappy fast food. Goes without saying that I'm not referring to the real deal. At least it should lol.

You wanna talk weak arguments?

You're a non-parent, telling other parents how easy it is to make their kids eat healthy food, when you clearly have a problem doing it just for yourself, much less anyone else, much less a child.

You may not like that it's personal. But I don't like people with no idea what they're talking about lecturing others.

There are not enough "boom"s for this post.

BTW i am a parent of a TRUE picky eater.. And he WOULD starve himself if he didnt like a certain food.. This a kid will eat eventually when they are hungry. How good would a parent be if a kid refused dinner because he didnt like it and wouldnt eat breakfast then had to go to school hungry.. It happens. Have you any IDEA how stubborn children really are? See how long you last as an actual parent when the true loves of your life do this. Soooo tell me how you can force a child to eat what they dont want? I really would love to know.. So please enlighten me.... My father was a marine. When i didnt want something I would be forced to sit there until it was eaten. If i still wouldnt eat it I would get cuffed upside the head. Try doing something like that today

Teach your kids to grow up and eat what you put in front of them. In many cases parents are scared of their kids and cave to their demands because instead of eating grilled chicken, they would rather eat a bowl of cinnamon toast crunch. I see this with my sister and her son often and it pisses me off. 6 year old kids should not be calling the shots to their parents.

And then you have my friend who got CPS called on her because she didn't cave to the temper tantrum at dinner, the kid threw her lunch away at school the next day and then fainted in class and the nurse reported it. Luckily she had the doctor to back her up that this was a continuing problem with the child.

BinaryPulsar

:huh: :noway: :explode:

kethry70

I've never understood this constant claim that children are picky eaters.

....

watch your kid literally gag and throw up cause of textures and LMK how it goes for you. My kids get plenty of healthy foods but I'm not gonna cry over letting them have chicken nuggets or pizza once or twice a week.