Food rules for your kids?

I don't ever tell my children they will get fat. I do, however, stress the importance of healthy foods. Limiting portions in a growing child isn't always necessary. If your child is a healthy weight, they will most likely stop eating when they are full. Instilling ideas of "fat" and "skinny" in young children is only setting them up for eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, etc. My two daughters are polar opposites when it comes to eating. My 10 year old eats sometimes more than 2000 calories a day, but she is very active and stick thin; she loves fruits and vegetables and anything healthy. My 5 year old will go all day without eating anything, then maybe have a bowl of cereal at night; she hates all fruits and vegetables, so I give her Pediasure every morning. She is not underweight, but definitely not overweight. The more you focus on your child's eating, the more likely they are to rebel as a teen and either overeat or undereat. Suffering from an eating disorder is a nightmare and not something I want either of my girls to develop. Please be careful with the message you are sending your children!
And seriously people, we are not all perfect parents, and it is totally unnecessary to put this woman down for asking a question or maybe making a parenting error!! So back off her!!!

"If you eat pb out the jar by habit you'll get fat, and you don't want to get fat - you want to be strong and healthy, right?"

I'm not strict - I know some parents are strict about gluten, meat, sugar, and basically don't want their kids to enjoy eating anything.

I think telling your kid she'll get fat is dangerous ground, and liable to lead to an eating disorder, words stick linger than people think, next time I'd suggesting telling her it's not a healthy snack and tossing an apple at her instead. There is nothing wrong with being fat, growing kids tend to go through a phase where they're heavy, it's part of growing up, but if she thinks she's fat and thinks that being fat is bad, it's going to cause serious issues.

As for parents restricting gluten, meat, sugar and "not wanting their kids to enjoy eating anything" I think you miss that often those children have a gluten/wheat allergy/intolerance (found in at least 1/3 of Americans), gluten is found in many processed meats and sugary treats (baked goods, candies, gummies, etc.), most kids with attention issues have gluten and sugar issues so they shouldn't be eating those things anyway, often they'll make them feel physically sick, so those moms are actually giving them the foods that will make them enjoy eating, and not feel sick after. I know a lot of those moms because I'm active in the food allergy blogosphere and I know those moms are always baking and finding alternative for their kids so they can eat "normally"

I love when someone starts a thread, gets answers that are not to their liking, and decides to stop replying (or threatens to, but comes back). Maybe if dozens of people disagree with you, you might want to re-examine your stance on the subject.

I don't have kids so I won't be able to help you much with the rules. but be very careful with what you tell your children. about 50% of 12 year old girls have an eating disorder because of the way their mothers portray an obsession with staying thin. Even though you want the best for your kids, be careful how you let them know how it's important to stay healthy.

Where did you get that statistic? According to most figures close to 40% of children are overweight or obese. I don't know how that breaks down by age, but if a 12 yo is overweight it's more bad parenting than eating disorder since few 12 yo have the means to buy their own food. They eat what is provided. But it's hard to believe that almost 40% are overweight and 50% have an undereating disorder.

It is quite true that you never know what sticks with a child and how it can affect them. But coming from a generation when fat children was a rare thing and everyone told you it was bad to be fat, I can vouch that telling a child they'll get fat if they overeat and that being fat is bad, is not necessarily a bad thing and does not necessarily lead to eating disorders. There are a lot of MFP members who wish their parents had not let them overeat as children.