Am I being cruel?**UPDATED**

adouglasmhor

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

When a child is old enough to buy, cook and clear away for him/herself, then they are old enough to eat what they fancy. Until then, they need to fit into whatever Mum or Dad is offering!

You obviously missed the huge sighs of relief issued by mums when we discovered that beans are good for you, they count as a vegetable! Full of fibre and nutrients.

Mine would get their fruit AFTER eating their main course. Or as a snack between meals.

Beans on toast also make up a complete protein - pulses plus grain.

PolishBigSpender

anonymousie wrote: »

THe big thing I note is "I gave my son his tea" ....ie he was served it on his own. Not a nice sociable family dinner- can you not put off tea time till a "family meal time"?? Kids eat so much better with others and develop social skills better too. If he adults are having beans too then he'd likely eat them, especially if it was 6 or 6.30 rather than say 5pm ("kids tea time" in my book). Fruit/milk when he gets in maybe to keep him going?

No wonder British kids are so fat if they're not eating their main meal of the day until 6:30!

Karate

PolishBigSpender wrote: »

No wonder British kids are so fat if they're not eating their main meal of the day until 6:30!

Why would having dinner/tea at 6.30 make children fat? Most working parents are only just returning home at this time, it is very reasonable that this would be the time for an evening meal.

Not to mention that the 'main meal' of the day should be breakfast, with portions for lunch and then evening meal being smaller, as your metabolism slows down before bed.

"British kids" (and adults) are fat because they eat too much/do not eat a quality balanced diet and don't exercise or participate in enough physical activity.

pelirocco

pukkamum wrote: »

Hmmm still find it hard to believe they love every single piece of food put in front of them, perhaps sil only gives them their faves?
That can't be good.

My kids also love the healthy stuff and would eat a pile of brocolli over anything anyday and wouldn't touch a baked bean or the ilk but there are still things given a choice they wouldn't 'bother' eating.
I can't believe that she serves them olives and hoummus everyday for every meal!!!!!!
If i gave my children a 'buffet' of breadsticks, olives, hoummus etc every meal they would wolf it down!!!!

You would be surprised , there are a lot of children out there who do prefer ''healthy'' food over jumk , my neice loved olives , any sort of fish etc from a very young age , but hates crosps

Baked beans are very healthy btw . Dont assume all children are alike

pelirocco

PolishBigSpender wrote: »

No wonder British kids are so fat if they're not eating their main meal of the day until 6:30!

Thats a myth , your body uses up calories no matter what time of day ,

samandona

PolishBigSpender wrote: »

No wonder British kids are so fat if they're not eating their main meal of the day until 6:30!

I think the point he/she is trying to make is that 6:30 is late to be having an evening meal (lets face it, it is usually the largest of the day) if the child is going to bed at 7 or 8pm.

I remember there being guildlines about not eating much after 6pm, as your body doesnt have time to digest the food and you are generally less active anyway, before you go to bed.

But as you point out, this is not entirely practical for people who work until 6 or 6:30.

When I was growing up, meals were alway served at 7, 8 or sometimes 9 (when I got older). Simply because people were at work. I used to prepare the familys evening meal from about age 11 as I was the only one in the house.

My household was never overweight. Maybe thats because we had boarder collies who NEEDED to be taken for 10 mile walks every day, and we generally ate heathily.

Pelirocco - If I could like your status again, I would.

pelirocco

Besides , its normal for kids to behave like this , and its perfectly right for parents to follow their own rules , I think far too many are made to feel guilty because they feel they are being judged . Your kids will grow up fine , have kids of their own and then you can laugh at them lol

onlyroz

Not read the whole thread, but I do have a few comments.

I don't insist on an empty plate - I think that this *can* lead to obesity, and that it's not good to encourage our children to think that they must finish off absolutely everything that gets put infront of them.

However, I do think that a child should make a decent attempt at eating their meal, and I wouldn't put up with a child that played with their dinner and then asked for more food 30 mins later. In these circumstances I'd put the uneaten dinner to one side and give it back to them when they declare that they're "starving".

As for dinner time - we (that is me, my husband and my son) eat at 6:30-7pm. My daughter gets dinner at nursery at around 5pm. It's not practical for us to eat earlier as that's when we're back from work.

puddy

samandona wrote: »

I think the point he/she is trying to make is that 6:30 is late to be having an evening meal (lets face it, it is usually the largest of the day) if the child is going to bed at 7 or 8pm.

I remember there being guildlines about not eating much after 6pm, as your body doesnt have time to digest the food and you are generally less active anyway, before you go to bed.

But as you point out, this is not entirely practical for people who work until 6 or 6:30.

When I was growing up, meals were alway served at 7, 8 or sometimes 9 (when I got older). Simply because people were at work. I used to prepare the familys evening meal from about age 11 as I was the only one in the house.

My household was never overweight. Maybe thats because we had boarder collies who NEEDED to be taken for 10 mile walks every day, and we generally ate heathily.

Pelirocco - If I could like your status again, I would.

so why arent the spanish overweight as a nation, they have very late dinners. its a myth about eating late and overweight, its what you eat and what you do, not what time

lutzi1

Eating together as a family sounds a very good idea. Stay calm and don't make a fuss, that way he gets to see the rest of the family tucking into whatever you are ALL having and gets set a good example/ will soon come to see this as normal.

Oh, and if there are any other children around, praise them when they've eaten a sensible amount - works a treat with both kids and dogs in my experience!