Do your kids hold their noses when eating things they don't like?

no I don't think mine thought of that either although they were never made to eat something that they didn't like.  They were all very good for at least trying a bite or two because telling me it was gross (LOL) and they'd rather starve!!  I think I may have did the nose holding myself, but my parents were the same way as I am.  You didn't like something you were not forced to eat it.  (thank goodness)!!

I make my kids eat at least a few bites of everything when serving new foods or foods they don't like. They've never held their nose. The point is to try new things, holding your nose and trying to swallow it like it's poison kind of defeats that purpose. I also think it is very disrespectful toward the person who made you a meal and bad table manners, I'd probably squash it pretty quickly if they did that.

I don't make them eat a whole plateful of something if they don't like it, but I'm also not going to fix them alternatives, so to an extent it is eat or be hungry. The only time I do make separate item is if I'm making a one-dish meal, like chili. DD absolutely can't stand it. The texture of the beans, the mushy tomatoes, she just plain and simple doesn't like it. I'll fix her something else. Multi-dish dinners you can have extra sides or bread to help fill you up, something like that you really can't.

Growing up we had to eat everything on our plate as well. Once a food made it onto our plate we could count on it being a regular in the dinner rotation, if we didn't like something it was torture because we knew we'd be forced to eat it all umpteen more times. If I ever held my nose when my mother served me a meal after working all day and shuttling us around, good lord, I'd rue the day lol 

No, she drinks lots of water between bites.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karen1985 

I make my kids eat at least a few bites of everything when serving new foods or foods they don't like. They've never held their nose. The point is to try new things, holding your nose and trying to swallow it like it's poison kind of defeats that purpose. I also think it is very disrespectful toward the person who made you a meal and bad table manners, I'd probably squash it pretty quickly if they did that.

 

I don't make them eat a whole plateful of something if they don't like it, but I'm also not going to fix them alternatives, so to an extent it is eat or be hungry.

This is me too. We insist on "polite bites". I would be mortified if my kid went to someones home and made a big deal over not liking something. You eat a polite bite and move on. At my house it is simpler for me to premake the dinner plates. I make a plate for each person, according to size and even likes. If I know DD hates peas she gets a small amount for her polite bite and maybe extra of teh mac n cheese. You have to eat what is on your plate to get seconds or snacks later on. I am also finding this valuable with my nephew who eats in survival mode. Stuff in all you can because it might be your only chance. Kid will eat an entire box of cereal in one sitting! By prefixing plates everyone gets a decent amount and leftovers are up for grabs. I even make him eat polite bites. I refuse to be a short order cook or waste my time cooking for kids that won't eat it.

Ds doesn't have to, I don't make him eat food he hates, but there isn't much he hates, or if he hates it I don't make it.  I'll make it for myself or have it at a restaurant, because chances are if he hates it, dh does too, and then it's just me eating it anyway.   I remember doing it (holding my nose)  plenty when I was growing up because I was forced to eat (and once sit by my plate for 2 hours when I was about 6) until I finished those dreaded lima beans.  I loved my parents but I think this is one thing that they erred on as parents.  It was more my father, and my mother didn't say anything to contradict him.  There is no way I'd let dh do that to ds, I'd contradict him plenty on something like this, united front out the window.

I don't necessarily think that taking a certain amount of bites of something you don't like is going to make you like it either.  I also think you can politely decline something and eat around it when you are at someone's house.  I do not like raw celery, and if someone had a salad with raw celery in it at their house, I would not eat it.  I don't make a big deal about it, I just put it aside.  If offered the plate, even if they made a special dip, I'd say no thank you and pass it on.

I don't make ds do the certain amount of bites thing, but I have a friend that does.  Her kids are super picky, and ds is not.  Truthfully, my friend is uber picky and I am not, and I think That is sometimes what transfers to kids, rather than being made to eat something you don't like.  Personally I think that is disrespectful to your kids!!

But here is something funny for you.  Ds has heard my lima bean story plenty of times and he will look me in the eye and laugh and say, "I LOVE lima beans" and eat them.    Passive aggressive anyone?  He doesn't say it disrespectfully though, more like a joke.