Dining Room with kids that are "picky"

[pacerzfan]

This dad is a weird one....I am allergic to fruit, most green vegatables and milk...LOL....So I would say I am a very picky eater (and weird eater), but I have no problem...like people have stated there is always steak and chicken nuggets to eat so trust me your child will find something they like.

[Quincella]

I LOVE this thread! My 8-year-old is the pickiest eater alive. Actually...I take that back. She'll eat anything...as long as it's cheese pizza, cinnamon cereal, milk, mac and cheese...you get the picture!

 

For years (before kids, of course) I was one of those "My-kids-will-eat-what's-put-in-front-of-them-or-they-won't-eat" people. Well, I've actually tried that. I've given my daughter something to eat on Friday night, wrapped it up, given it to her again, etc etc....she has actually gone from Friday night until MOnday at school with nothing but water and milk. The night I made her eat one green bean put a stop to that madness when she literally threw up. So there I was with a crying child and a stressed husband, literally cleaning up...well, you know. I'd had it. She's active, healthy (according to the doctor) and not at all overweight. I do make sure she gets a daily vitamin, and she does have to eat whatever fruit she can tolerate, which is usually a banana or an apple. No veggies, no meat (unless it's chicken in nugget form or fish in stick form), but she's doing okay. I hate it, especially since I'm a very adventurous eater, but so be it. I'm assuming she'll come around some day. In the meantime, no more battles in my house over food.

 

Like another poster said, we eat what we want on vacation, so she will, too. Last cruise that usually meant waffles for breakfast, pizza for lunch, pizza for dinner, and an occasional banana for a snack.

 

And I can take solace from the fact that my 2-year-old will eat anything!:D

 

And by the way, they both behave just fine....

[bankofdad]

Problem started at home, not on the ship.

 

Teach the child correctly at home and you will not have to worry how he acts in public with you.

 

:confused: What did I miss? Being a picky eater and acting correctly in public are two very very different things IMHO.

 

One of my three children is very picky (our oldest). However, just because he doesn't like something, he won't display bad behaviour in the dining room. He will respectfully and politefully decline an offer for a particular entree or side dish if he is not going to eat it anyway.

 

I'm personally very easy to please food-wise, but I also decline, respectfully and politely, when something is not to my taste as well. Does that mean I am displaying bad behaviour in the dining room? I would hope not.

[Tamhugh]

I was such a smug mother with my first one. When he was a toddler we would go to a restaurant and he would ask for broccoli, brussel sprouts, shrimp, etc. He is fifteen now and a wonderful eater. I thought it was because I made him try things. Then 4 years later his brother came along. When we made him try things, he would force himself to throw it up. I swear he is my punishment for thinking I did things right with the first one! But, even though he is a picky eater, he is well-mannered and a fairly normal child. And on our cruises he has tried a lot of new things. The only problem is that now, he expects to order lobster and other fancy meals whenever we go out!

 

Tammy

[BND]

The funny thing is, no matter what you do while they are growing up, they will go off to college, skip breakfast and eat pizza ice cream and burgers, drink lots of soda and ignore anything that requires a lot of time to eat or is actually good for them. I did my job, offered them choices, including what they didn't really like and only ask that they try it, now they're on their own. I have a bigger issue with a parent who says no, then gives into a child throwing a fit than one who just lets them eat what they want within reason on vacation. That usually has more to do with the overall pattern of behavior about everything than about what they eat or whether they eat. You know, no child given a choice has ever starved to death. My son who still doesn't eat veggies (other than lettuce occasionally) is 6'1" and attends one of the top public universities in the country so it certainly didnt' stunt his growth or his brain. Back to the issue at hand, let a child order what they want on vacation, it gives them a sense of enpowerment and can be fun for them. Like another poster said, the pizza is almost always available, so if they dont' eat in the dining room, they'll eat that or something else later.

[disneylynn]

Comeaux, Just because my 6 year old neice likes plain pasta does not mean she behaves badly, she is a sweet shy little girl.