My children are fed up with OS :(

Alfietinker

I know it's on a slightly different tack, but I've had a similar 'problem' with hubby recently - we've come to a compromise that might help you.

Since being inspired by OS (:T) I took it upon myself to do all the cooking and budgeting/planning meals. I have a boring job and so can be on these boards a lot during the day you see. I'd get ideas and make my lists and do the shopping - and hubby didn't get a look in. I thought I was being a good dutiful wife and ensuring he had good wholesome food, and he didn't have to worry about the cooking.

He didn't ever complain about the food, but I could sense he sometimes wasn't enjoying it. So I'd make ever more 'complex' foods that I thought he'd like - curries from scratch, that type of thing. Thinking that if I cooked food I 'thought' he'd like he'd be happy.

Anyway, it transpires that I was wrong. He has nothing against OS, and is all for it. But where as I was trying to replicate ready-made food, taking ages in the kitchen each evening, he wanted very quick simple food. I'd spend an hour making something, where he'd actually really want grilled fish and steamed veggies (no sauce either :eek: ) that could be ready in minutes. He saw how into OS I was and didn't want to say anything. In reality he felt I was taking over the domestic front and he had no say in anything.

So now we both do things. He'll flick through my WW book (I'm on a diet) and decide what he'd like to eat - instead of me making the decisions at work. Our idea of 'cooking' in the evening is now very, very simple food. Nothing that takes more than 40 minutes. I still make bread at the weekends but only if he hasn't seen any reduced to 10p in Sainsburys. We'll both go shopping - either together or in turns.

What I'm trying to say is perhaps its not the OS cooking your kids don't like, but trying to replicate burgers etc, which do taste different from the shops because of all the chemicals etc, isn't the way to do it. Perhaps they'll prefer things that they don't usually buy 'ready made'?

Don't know if this ramblings actually been of any use!!!!

black-saturn

Thanks everyone for your suggestions which I will do my best to follow up :beer:

Sarahsaver

I always do a weekly meal plan and this week I have written 'Take away' for Friday. OH was astonished and even asked why! Well I have to cater for 30 people on saturday, and I have saved so much by shopping carefully that a bit of the food/clothes money has built up, so I thought I would give the cooking a break for one day. But I know i will feel odd because I will be thinking 'i can make this cheaper/better/healthier'

gingerdad

Sarahsaver wrote:

DS aged 5 made our coleslaw this evening, he was so proud of it:) I think children tend to try something more willingly if they have made it themselves. DD made pancake mixture yesterday - the most perfect I have ever seen. She too is fussy, but she still contributes, like picking the wild mushrooms which were with the pasta yesterday.

I would agree for my d/d 5th Birthday we had a Pizza and Ice Cream Sundae Party, all the kids made their own pizza, with what they wanted on them, and we did a prize for the best looking, it amazed me what they put on them, even the children who "don't eat anything" were putting olives and other bits on them. the only kid who didn't eat his, was one whose mum was in the other room and he took in his pizza (which he was very proud of) to be told thats very nice dear you don't need to eat it if you don't want to. guess what he didn't. my wife got very upset with her friend early (esp as she was crowing on about her kids diet) ...

serena

I don't want to offend anyone, but I hate the idea of encouraging children to think that processed fast food is a 'treat'!

I was planning a party meal for one of my children, and suddenly had one of those light bulb moments. Why on earth, when I spend all my time doing well balanced delicious home made meals, was I planning to buy stuff?!

I had a long chat with the children and the birthday child chose salmon, new potatoes, salad, followed by profiteroles with chocolate sauce. Not only was it about the same price, but absolutely delicious.

I suggest that you chat with the children about meals, and ask for suggestions for meals, and shop/cook/eat together. I have also found one very good tip, is to serve meals at the table in serving dishes, and everyone serves themselves. The rule here is that you have to have a portion of everything, even if that portion is only a teaspoonful!

Good luck.

All the best,

Serena.

Edinburghlass_2

I'm off to eat fish-fingers with a fried egg on top for my tea, dd will make her own pizza

Sluttish night for me

thriftlady_2

serena wrote:

I don't want to offend anyone, but I hate the idea of encouraging children to think that processed fast food is a 'treat'!

I was planning a party meal for one of my children, and suddenly had one of those light bulb moments. Why on earth, when I spend all my time doing well balanced delicious home made meals, was I planning to buy stuff?!

I fell into this trap once.I decided to buy all sorts of nuggets,and other junk food I'd never bought before as a birthday treat.It really backfired.The party guests hardly ate anything being used to this sort of stuff and more intent on games,but my ds1 ate so much he was sick.

The salmon menu sounds divine.

arkonite_babe

black-saturn wrote:

My children are fed up with Old Style meals and me cooking everything from scratch. I've tried burgers, chicken nuggets, pizzas etc etc home made but they turn their noses up at it. I cant get them to eat anything from the slow cooker without them moaning about it all the way through. So tonight I've resorted to frozen fish fingers, frozen garlic bread, frozen chips and frozen onion rings. In the past I would have made all those myself but I'm fed up :rolleyes:

Stick with it is my advice!! My 2 sd's wouldn't eat anything when they first came to live with us, unless it came from a packet or a tin. I can still remember the look on one face when they realised that soup could be made from scratch. Nevermind the first time I set down a Sunday roast :eek:

It will all even out, some good suggestions so far on this thread, let them help with meal planning, come up with suggestions for meals etc etc

MATH wrote:

Stick with it Black Saturn and they will come round or die of starvation:p I always plan a junky meal on Saturday nights which we eat like sluts on trays in front of the telly. The rest of the week they eat what I cook, at the table, using cutlery and napkin correctly or go without.

TBH I don't have many complaints cos they have been fed OS since being weaned (oh how grateful I am that they have never known any different) If they do complain I explain that they have the option of starving to death and tell a tale of how people lost in the desert have drunk their own wee and eaten dead snake just to stay alive, then add the sinister threat that the next meal may not be as apertising as the one before them. hehehehe They soon tuck in!

Remeber you are the adult so behave like one and resort to emotional blackmail, threats, disception and tantrum throwing if necessary.

My action plan would be (in no perticular order):

1. Use plenty of the food stuffs you know they like.
2. Reduce the portion sizes, better to eat it and have seconds than struggle.
3. Adopt an 'am I bovvered' attitude - let the rugrats starve (they won't)
4. Always have a tasty OS pudding to follow to encourage them.
5. Have a junky night and throw caution and dietry sense out the window.
6. Think up funny names for HM dishes. "Roadkill stew" and "Morgue off cuts" are two of our favourite dishes. hehehehe
7. Remind them every day of the agonising labour you suffered just to bring them into the world, add realistic screams and some writhing if necessary.
8: Tell them you are cooking something foul (like tripe or braised gizzard) then appear to change you mind and offer the original dish you were cooking anyway.

Good luck

Math, as always you have me in stitches!! I'm going to copy your mantra, print it out and stick it on my fridge for the world to see

Queenie

Edinburghlass wrote:

I'm off to eat fish-fingers with a fried egg on top for my tea, dd will make her own pizza

Sluttish night for me

Won't be for me after reading that ... (screen pebble dashed in coffee!)

serena wrote:

I don't want to offend anyone, but I hate the idea of encouraging children to think that processed fast food is a 'treat'!

No offense taken.

Yet, it does beg the question ... why not?

HOLsale

Mr_Proctalgia wrote:

When No2 son was little we had convinced him that coconuts were in fact Gorilla Eggs and they laid them in nests they built in palm trees, he actually stood up in class and announced this fact to all the other kids, we got a VERY irate letter back from his teacher about that one :rotfl:

you would probably appreciate a copy of a book my dh got me for christmas

Great Lies to Tell Small Kids
Andy Riley ISBN 0340834056

one of my favourites from the books is 'mice eat our dandruff as cornflakes for breakfast' :rotfl: