Am I being cruel?**UPDATED**

mrcow

Oh - and "I hate you" is NOT an acceptable thing for a 5 year old to be saying to an adult.

Sit him down and tell him to think about how saying that will make you feel.

Ask him to explain to you how he would feel if you told him that you hated him.


He is not to say that to anyone - or there will be consequences.

And yes - he is to apologise to you for it.

samandona

gunsandbanjos wrote: »

Making kids finish everything sets a bad precedent and encourages overeating. My daughter knows she doesnt have to eat everything, she eats til she is full.

Perhaps there is too much food on her plate?

My SIL in European and alot of the food she feeds my neice and nephew is served as a buffet almost. Lots of small dishes that the children help themselves too. That way, they have learned to take what they can eat and not fill their plates in the first instance then not eat it.

OP - IMHO, I dont think you are being cruel. Your son sounds asthough he behaves like this because he knows he can get away with it. Tough love and all that

pukkamum

P.s i never insist on a clear plate as i feel this leads to a precedent and can lead to overeating.

Errata

OS is that the child sits at the table until they finish their meal. End of.

OP - do give him some supper to settle him for bed. He's only eaten a bite of a sandwich, a cereal bar and a bag of crisps plus whatever breakfast he ate. That's not enough to keep a small boy going until breakfast tomorrow.

Zazen999

pukkamum wrote: »

P.s i never insist on a clear plate as i feel this leads to a precedent and can lead to overeating.

If this is the case then you are giving them far too much food.

pukkamum

Zazen999 wrote: »

If this is the case then you are giving them far too much food.

I am not, i am teaching them that you do not have to clear a plate, you eat til you are full then you stop, i'm not talking masses of left over food maybe just two or three bites.
The fact is that what may fill them one day will be too much food the next and vice versa, depending on how much else they have eaten that day, whether they are having a growth spurt etc etc

I have been severly overweight in the past and i know that one of the main factors was the clean plate syndrome.

CRANKY40

I'd just make him piece of toast or bread and butter. My ds knows that if he doesn't eat his dinner, the most he can expect before bed is either a piece of toast or a weetabix with milk. I wouldn't make him go without unless you want the 2am "I'm starving, can I have a sandwich?" call, but make it clear that there are no treats on offer if dinner is left, just a very plain substitute.

Just out of interest, what food is he asking for now?

Ladyhawk

Well done OP for trying to wrestle control back from your DS. I'd just make sure that he has some water (not too much obviously) and he'll be fine until morning. If you give in now then what was the point in saying no in the first case? You will just show that all he has to do for you to change your mind is to keep pushing and having a strop.

Stay strong. You are not being cruel.

Zazen999

pukkamum wrote: »

I am not, i am teaching them that you do not have to clear a plate, you eat til you are full then you stop, i'm not talking masses of left over food maybe just two or three bites.
The fact is that what may fill them one day will be too much food the next and vice versa, depending on how much else they have eaten that day, whether they are having a growth spurt etc etc

I have been severly overweight in the past and i know that one of the main factors was the clean plate syndrome.

You shouldn't BE eating until you are full; that's the problem.

People need to eat alot less - then there wouldn't be such a lot of overweight people.

You feel full about 20 minutes after you are actually full; there should be an amount on the plate to sustain you and no more.

Perhaps you need to look at your portion sizes.

tabskitten

Stick to your guns Mum!!!