tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7628767515693863152.post578971078009216416..comments2024-03-29T00:11:40.415-07:00Comments on The Unlikely Homeschool: One Mom's Cure for Ending the Dinner-Time BattleUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7628767515693863152.post-87455191148421022982014-03-22T18:02:14.502-07:002014-03-22T18:02:14.502-07:00I think that is where teaching your child common s...I think that is where teaching your child common sense plays in. I was brought up in a "clean your plate" home and I am neither overweight nor an overeater. I think there are many factors at play with overeating as an adult.Jamie Ericksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07210544168493409813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7628767515693863152.post-92150373108899104192014-03-21T23:22:06.427-07:002014-03-21T23:22:06.427-07:00Hi there, I just found your You Tube and blog sinc...Hi there, I just found your You Tube and blog since I am looking into homeschooling my preschooler- thank you for sharing so much! So gosh, I don't like that my first comment will be negative :( I realize you have your beliefs and personal thoughts, etc but I implore you to rethink your "clean your plate" rule. Without trying to sound holier than thou or pompous, my background is in health education and all of the research points to the "clean your plate" requirement setting up a very unhealthy precedent. I know a previous reader commented on this, and your reply makes sense- however the portions your children are served won't always be a few bites. As they get older, eat out, eat at other peoples homes, go off to college, live with other people, etc those portions will change but their brains will be wired to "clean my plate." Even when their stomachs tell them to stop their brains will override the physiological cues. Asking them to finish their meal the best they can (and saving the leftovers for if they get hungry later) makes sense, but requiring them to have a clean plate before they can be "done" is a different thing. I strongly encourage you to look into the research, when you get a moment of course :) So there is some gentle pressure from a complete stranger to start your weekend! Take care.APhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05953431727585957698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7628767515693863152.post-50740425866764701412013-08-14T20:09:41.143-07:002013-08-14T20:09:41.143-07:00I can relate. My Hubs only likes certain veggies....I can relate. My Hubs only likes certain veggies. Although since instituting the "pass", he's gotten a lot more brave when it comes to eating greens that aren't his fave. Jamie Ericksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07210544168493409813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7628767515693863152.post-57384652825991257142013-08-14T17:51:49.825-07:002013-08-14T17:51:49.825-07:00I like this idea A LOT! I think some in my house w...I like this idea A LOT! I think some in my house would have trouble coming up with only ONE food too pass on...mainly my hubby...the veggie hater. He has been a not so great influence on the kids when it comes to eating what you're given. Also I have one with milk and peanut allergies, so we've gotten used to having a few options available for meals (though she ends up eating very similar things for most meals.) We very often end up saving things for the following meal for a couple of my girls, and they tire of having to eat their leftover food, especially when the next meal is something they like a lot. I've recently started using Jessica Seinfeld's book, Deceptively Delicious, in which she "hides" veggie and fruit purees in more common "kid foods" for nutritional value. :) As long as hubby doesn't watch me cook it, it seems to be working! LOL!Larahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02976625475831414497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7628767515693863152.post-76564251732430338672013-06-19T19:29:20.231-07:002013-06-19T19:29:20.231-07:00Yes, I think it's is important to find a balan...Yes, I think it's is important to find a balance. I am not a short-order cook. I can not make seven different meals for seven different people every night. So yes, you get what you get. Jamie Ericksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07210544168493409813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7628767515693863152.post-85010225342875634522013-06-19T19:26:01.515-07:002013-06-19T19:26:01.515-07:00While I agree with you in some aspects (obesity/ov...While I agree with you in some aspects (obesity/over eating runs in my family), I think there are MANY factors you have to look at besides just "cleaning the plate." I don't let my children graze on food all day. We have two small snacks (fruit, cheese, lightly salted popcorn, raisins) and three meals, every day. So at meal times they all come to the table saying they are hungry. I serve them each very small portions of everything to start. So, cleaning your plate usually only requires a few bites of three different things as opposed to a huge plate of things. (I realize the portion in the picture was not small, but that was actually my plate. My son's gyro was already cut up into small bites and didn't make for a very appealing picture.) I'm CONFIDENT that in our home, it is not a question of hunger cues but a question of "I just don't want to eat it because I just don't like it." <br /><br />I think they are two separate issues. Jamie Ericksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07210544168493409813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7628767515693863152.post-87572504789546718732013-06-19T19:13:03.812-07:002013-06-19T19:13:03.812-07:00It sounds like your situation requires much GRACE....It sounds like your situation requires much GRACE. It also sounds like you're doing a great job giving it.<br />Jamie Ericksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07210544168493409813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7628767515693863152.post-91900627326797516722013-06-19T19:10:46.722-07:002013-06-19T19:10:46.722-07:00I think...as you said...it is important to serve a...I think...as you said...it is important to serve a variety including things you know they like. Portion size is also helpful. I'd much rather serve less and give seconds if they would like more than give a huge portion of something they might end up not liking.Jamie Ericksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07210544168493409813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7628767515693863152.post-14825408091965232952013-06-19T11:37:15.146-07:002013-06-19T11:37:15.146-07:00At our house you get what get. We don't exactl...At our house you get what get. We don't exactly make our 4 kids eat what we give them, but if you don't eat it then you don't eat. If you don't eat your meal, you also must forgo any snacks until the next meal. If that snack happens to be a desert, than your really out of luck.Crystalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342387589806498262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7628767515693863152.post-58349241800125030532013-06-19T09:39:58.424-07:002013-06-19T09:39:58.424-07:00I am so glad to see I am not the only mom who does...I am so glad to see I am not the only mom who does this! My children are generally not picky, but they each have foods they dislike. <br /><br />As a child, I had to clean my plate. My mom made a really good meal (boiled dinner, which you are familiar with if you're from New England lol) but she always put caraway in it. Caraway literally makes me ill. Even the smell of caraway (i.e. rye bread, pumpernickel bread, etc...) can make me nauseated. <br /><br />It ruined the meal for me and my parents would make me sit there in front of this plate stinking of caraway until I ate it. <br /><br />Finally, my mom stopped putting caraway in the meal, out of pity for so many times of my having to sit at the table in front of a cold plate.<br /><br />We also had to eat at specific times. Hungry or not, we had to clean our plates; and vice versa, if we were hungry and it wasn't "time to eat", we had to wait. <br /><br />My husband had similar experiences, particularly with clearing his plate.<br /><br />So we decided on the following: the children can eat when they are hungry (within reason); they do not have to eat foods they dislike as long as they are getting proper nutrition (for instance, my son hates potatoes, so he doesn't have to eat them. He gets rice instead. My daughter will eat any veggie put in front of her, except green beans or cooked carrots. She eats so many veggies I am not concerned when she skips a few beans.); they are given small portions, as they can get more if they are still hungry but it doesn't waste food if they aren't terribly hungry.<br /><br />On the other hand, I don't cook only "kid meals". I cook what I wish to cook and what we can eat (three of us are gluten intolerant) and they eat it. They never were fed "kid food" - as babies I pureed what I made for my husband and I and fed it to them - so they are not accustomed to eating things like chicken nuggets, etc... . They eat whatever we eat...except potatoes lolKathylapanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17055854657800598332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7628767515693863152.post-86802696359398861072013-06-19T08:25:36.814-07:002013-06-19T08:25:36.814-07:00We do still save it for the next day, they just ge...We do still save it for the next day, they just get to choose which meal they eat it for. No waste that way. But yes, this way the regulate how much goes in at a meal.Wandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05949988094416061716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7628767515693863152.post-77957174289931921702013-06-19T08:12:18.461-07:002013-06-19T08:12:18.461-07:00That's how we handle it. Nobody is made to cl...That's how we handle it. Nobody is made to clean their plate. We have always taught our kids to listen to their bodies and stop eating when they are hungry. But if they aren't eating something on their plate just because they don't want to try it or they think they won't like it, I wrap it up and it's the next meal they have. So, we don't make them eat but when they do eat they eat what we say. (although I do like the pass food idea)Jonanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10710050651150998239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7628767515693863152.post-7054289268934746592013-06-19T08:07:40.597-07:002013-06-19T08:07:40.597-07:00I love the idea of parenting with truth AND grace ...I love the idea of parenting with truth AND grace and I also love the pass food idea but beyond that I have to disagree with you. Making your kids eat everything on their plate sets them up for a lifetime of bad habits regarding food. God made us to know when we are hungry and when we are not and making your children eat everything in front of them teaches them to ignore those hunger cues. It teaches them to continue eating regardless of how hungry they are (which leads to an unhealthy weight and to other food issues) and that will be a habit that is very, very hard to break.Jonanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10710050651150998239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7628767515693863152.post-72245449396154060842013-06-19T07:05:58.317-07:002013-06-19T07:05:58.317-07:00I have 2 autistic sons, both with sensory processi...I have 2 autistic sons, both with sensory processing disorder, both with countless severe food allergies, 1 with celiac! Picky eaters is a term we laugh at :) There was lots of crying, bribing, and fighting over eating when they were little. They are turned off by smell, by texture, by color.....fast forward a few years and now we have learned their eating preferences. Although we do not cater to them wanting only what they want, by grace alone, we have adjusted our menus. We do not bring junk food into the house, so snacks are fruit and dehydrated crackers. I have adjusted my style of cooking and learned to prepare the main course at dinner in different ways that are more appealing to them. Dinner is mainly stress free. As we understand that trying 1 bite is better than fighting and crying any day trying to get them to finish their plates :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7628767515693863152.post-86987961560869110102013-06-19T06:58:12.388-07:002013-06-19T06:58:12.388-07:00Very creative idea. We may have to try this at our...Very creative idea. We may have to try this at our house. The Lucas Ganghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09165763381051807268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7628767515693863152.post-67217533676229372872013-06-19T06:41:48.792-07:002013-06-19T06:41:48.792-07:00We have a slightly different approach. As parents...We have a slightly different approach. As parents, we understand that the kids don't always enjoy everything that is served. We don't always enjoy what is served either, to be honest. So we do a few things...<br /><br />I don't give the kids huge helpings if I know they don't enjoy it. My youngest always gets one small spoon of guacamole on his taco salad. He's resigned to it because it means he doesn't get a huge spoonful of it.<br /><br />We don't waste food in our house. I will not force my kids to eat everything on their plate in one sitting, but if they are not eating it because they simply don't like it, it will be their next meal and their next meal, and sometimes their third next meal, until it is gone*. We've done this with all the kids, and now, at 7. 9, and 11, they marvel that their friends don't eat this or that. My kids will eat and enjoy nearly anything. It's takes dedication to let your palate learn to enjoy new foods, but it's worth it.<br /><br />I'm not a mean mom either though, so I do try to prepare foods that are diverse but enjoyable for all/most. When there's a doozy that no one really enjoys, we don't revisit that option. But we all tried.<br /><br />*The only child that held out for three meals was my youngest. He did not want that steak. He finally ate it for dinner the next night. He was very happy to have his normal cereal for breakfast the next day.Wandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05949988094416061716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7628767515693863152.post-12699783105605812372013-06-19T06:36:15.863-07:002013-06-19T06:36:15.863-07:00Definitely going to apply this in our house! Thank...Definitely going to apply this in our house! Thank you so much for the blog post, it put things in a different perspective for me.The Fuller'shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13803435635634334339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7628767515693863152.post-45323082678256715722013-06-19T06:23:46.492-07:002013-06-19T06:23:46.492-07:00Ha! A goat - good comparison! Yes, I do apprecia...Ha! A goat - good comparison! Yes, I do appreciate eating out WAY more than anyone else in my family. :)Heidihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06100479235759046714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7628767515693863152.post-71833614014799301642013-06-19T06:20:05.636-07:002013-06-19T06:20:05.636-07:00Interesting idea........ Now I'm trying to th...Interesting idea........ Now I'm trying to think what my kids would pass on.Ticiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17970101432834731044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7628767515693863152.post-88604076107312608902013-06-19T06:18:42.469-07:002013-06-19T06:18:42.469-07:00Your house sounds sooooooo much like mine. I have ...Your house sounds sooooooo much like mine. I have a gagger too. Small amounts ARE always good. And, I'm definitely the family goat...except for french toast. That's where I draw the line! I've learned that no one can appreciate eating out quite like a mom...no meal to make and no dishes to do.Jamie Ericksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07210544168493409813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7628767515693863152.post-72267130562662450992013-06-19T05:34:35.651-07:002013-06-19T05:34:35.651-07:00Very creative approach! I have one child in parti...Very creative approach! I have one child in particular who really doesn't like to eat much - at all. He gags on most things. So, we give him VERY small amounts of everything and pray that he'll eventually eat. Hahaha! But even my husband is fairly particular about what he does and doesn't like. He'll eat whatever, but really doesn't like some things. It's hard for me to understand because I will eat all foods and enjoy most of them - especially if someone else makes the meal for me! :)Heidihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06100479235759046714noreply@blogger.com