4 year old dinner time - Page 5

[monkey's mom]

I think it boils down to another common parenting fallacy--that if you let children decline or choose alternate meals that they will become picky and demanding.

I don't think it's true at all.

Any more than I think it's true that they'll never wean on their own, never move to their own bed if given the choice, or they'll be spoiled manipulators if you pick them up when they cry.

[mammal_mama]

Originally Posted by Caneel

We were encouraged to politely decline but only after we knew (by being strongly encouraged to try the particular food at home) we didn't care for that item.

That's good to know!

I'd somehow got the impression, from your previous post, that it "drew attention" if a child didn't want to eat a particular food.

[Caneel]

Originally Posted by mammal_mama

That's good to know!

I'd somehow got the impression, from your previous post, that it "drew attention" if a child didn't want to eat a particular food.

Oh no, not at all although when I re-read my own post I can see how it may have been interpreted.

The no-drawing attention-behavior meant no whining, complaining or pouting about brussel sprouts (or whatever) was being served instead of peas. If you didn't like brussel sprouts, fine, peas will come along another day.

[Alyantavid]

I am getting hungry reading about your meals! Can Ihave your homemade chicken nugget recipe?

Sure!
chicken breasts, chopped into bite size pieces
milk
panko bread crumbs
sea salt
pepper
lemon pepper
garlic salt
Put milk into one bowl and mix bread crumbs and spices together in a seperate bowl. Dip the chicken in the milk, then the bread crumbs. Make sure they're coated well. Then bake until they're done. You can fry them in oil too which I do sometimes, but baking's so much healthier.

[Lisa85]

I absolutely refuse to make more than one dinner unless it's something new. I'll ask for suggestions, we'll come to an agreement (i.e. I'm not making something I don't feel like, and I won't make something she doesn't feel like even if we both like it), I'll make it and that's that. And no, you won't get a sandwich either. Now if I try a new recipe and she doesn't like it, she can have left overs, cereal, a sandwich, etc. But not just because you changed your mind between the time I asked you and cooked it. If perhaps when she's older and not always around to ask for suggestions or input, then yes, she can have an alternative, but I'm still not cooking anything else.