Comments on: Beef . . . IT'S WHAT'S FOR DINNER?!?!?! http://www.parentingbytrialanderror.com/2008/05/04/beef-its-whats-for-dinner/ flexibility in raising kids Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:02:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Gretchen http://www.parentingbytrialanderror.com/2008/05/04/beef-its-whats-for-dinner/comment-page-1/#comment-25 Gretchen Tue, 06 May 2008 13:40:10 +0000 http://parentingbytrialanderror.wordpress.com/?p=35#comment-25 Well, I think you know how I feel about it. Let the poor kid eat what he wants. If he comes around later in life, great. But in a way it can be a double standard--does he like tomatoes, for example? Do you make him try them every so often just to see if he still doesn't like them, or do you figure that he may like them as an adult with an older palate...or not? I still won't eat beef, but Derek did get some steaks for a birthday present and I've discovered they're easy to put on the grill along with veggies and then cook some rice in the kitchen. So that's our beef solution for now, until we come to visit you again. :) Well, I think you know how I feel about it. Let the poor kid eat what he wants. If he comes around later in life, great. But in a way it can be a double standard–does he like tomatoes, for example? Do you make him try them every so often just to see if he still doesn’t like them, or do you figure that he may like them as an adult with an older palate…or not?

I still won’t eat beef, but Derek did get some steaks for a birthday present and I’ve discovered they’re easy to put on the grill along with veggies and then cook some rice in the kitchen. So that’s our beef solution for now, until we come to visit you again. :)

]]> By: Kathy http://www.parentingbytrialanderror.com/2008/05/04/beef-its-whats-for-dinner/comment-page-1/#comment-24 Kathy Sun, 04 May 2008 21:35:21 +0000 http://parentingbytrialanderror.wordpress.com/?p=35#comment-24 My kids like some meat but not others. And some days they won't eat what they usually like. Sigh.... I'd rejoice, though, if my kids preferred veggies to meat. They're cheaper and healthier, for the most part. My younger son (age 2) likes rice and beans and some veggies. The last time I served him popcorn chicken, though, he sucked off the ketchup and wouldn't eat the chicken. I have an aversion to the idea of throwing away food, and I also have an aversion to making different meals at the same time, just to accommodate everybody's preferences. I try to take preferences into account, but I'm not going to make 4 meals for 4 people. What I do is try to give the kids something from every dish, but the largest portion is what they prefer. If they absolutely *hate* something, I generally won't force them to eat it (hey, I can't stand mustard! or a lot of other things, for that matter); but they have to eat everything else. What I'd do is if there is a known aversion to something is either not put it on his plate at all, or to give him 1-2 bites of it. My 3-y/o son, though, seems to have an aversion to most food except a few favorites (pizza, PB&J, macaroni & cheese -- you know, "healthy" food), so I do make him eat what I fix, to enlarge his palate. He's doing better about eating, too -- even though I know it's something he doesn't prefer, he's now eating it without complaining... too much, anyway. :-) My kids like some meat but not others. And some days they won’t eat what they usually like. Sigh….

I’d rejoice, though, if my kids preferred veggies to meat. They’re cheaper and healthier, for the most part. My younger son (age 2) likes rice and beans and some veggies. The last time I served him popcorn chicken, though, he sucked off the ketchup and wouldn’t eat the chicken.

I have an aversion to the idea of throwing away food, and I also have an aversion to making different meals at the same time, just to accommodate everybody’s preferences. I try to take preferences into account, but I’m not going to make 4 meals for 4 people. What I do is try to give the kids something from every dish, but the largest portion is what they prefer. If they absolutely *hate* something, I generally won’t force them to eat it (hey, I can’t stand mustard! or a lot of other things, for that matter); but they have to eat everything else.

What I’d do is if there is a known aversion to something is either not put it on his plate at all, or to give him 1-2 bites of it. My 3-y/o son, though, seems to have an aversion to most food except a few favorites (pizza, PB&J, macaroni & cheese — you know, “healthy” food), so I do make him eat what I fix, to enlarge his palate. He’s doing better about eating, too — even though I know it’s something he doesn’t prefer, he’s now eating it without complaining… too much, anyway. :-)

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