Do you make alternative dinners for your kids if they don't like what you made?

[Anonymous]

Only when I make eggplant rolatini. Everyone is allowed to hate something.

[Anonymous]

No. He just turned 8. If he does not like what I made, he is welcome to eat a yogurt or make himself a PBJ. I'm not cooking anything else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. I don't want to have one of those losers who grow up only able to eat grilled cheese. Picky eaters in general are just sad.

So- they eat what we eat. And they really love it all

I seriously hate this attitude. I have two kids. One will eat anything. One really has specific tastes. When I have attempted this approach she will just not eat (and complain she is hungry). She is tiny and underweight for her age so she needs to eat. She eats more than just grilled cheese, but I'm not about to make some fancy meal and expect/insist she eat it. I may insist she try, but sometimes she really makes a disgusted face after trying. Sometimes she tries things and likes them and asks for more. But no, not everyone likes all foods. DH eats everything. I certainly don't! There are foods that I truly do not like the last of and have trouble eating. Why cannot that be the case for a kid? I'm not saying they should eat pizza every meal, but I generally make things I think everyone will eat, or if I want the rest of us to eat something else that she won't she gets a simple separate meal.

[Anonymous]

No. But I learned to cook first. I don't expect them to eat anything that doesn't taste good.

[Anonymous]

never. If the dish I'm making is spicy, I might either make a blander version for the kids or something else. Otherwise, they eat what I cook. Stop letting your kids be picky. My mom did this for me (cook something *I* wanted), and it took me ages to not be picky.

[Anonymous]

No. I have never cooked my kids meals different from what the adults are eating. And because of that I have five kids who will eat just about anything. I would die of embarrassment if my kids only ate grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese, nuggets, pizza, etc. Parents who do this are ridiculous. Everyone has two choices for the evening meal - (1) Take it (2) Leave it. If they don't eat dinner, there is always breakfast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. I have never cooked my kids meals different from what the adults are eating. And because of that I have five kids who will eat just about anything. I would die of embarrassment if my kids only ate grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese, nuggets, pizza, etc. Parents who do this are ridiculous. Everyone has two choices for the evening meal - (1) Take it (2) Leave it. If they don't eat dinner, there is always breakfast.

Again, I had to eat whatever my parents made for dinner, and I'm still a picky eater. Forcing your kids to eat what you make does NOT prevent someone from vehemently hating certain foods.

[Anonymous]

I don't, but my husband, who does most of the cooking, does. My mom would make sure that there was at least one item that she knew we liked and then let us make a cheese or PB&J if we would not eat what she fixed, and we all survived. Ours aren't bad eaters, but the pool of meals is small because my husband caters to their preferences.

I think it's different if your kid has food allergies or sensory issues that affect eating, but, absent that, this isn't a restaurant, and the kid neither pay not tip their servers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. I have never cooked my kids meals different from what the adults are eating. And because of that I have five kids who will eat just about anything. I would die of embarrassment if my kids only ate grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese, nuggets, pizza, etc. Parents who do this are ridiculous. Everyone has two choices for the evening meal - (1) Take it (2) Leave it. If they don't eat dinner, there is always breakfast.

Again, I had to eat whatever my parents made for dinner, and I'm still a picky eater. Forcing your kids to eat what you make does NOT prevent someone from vehemently hating certain foods.

Not fixing your kids a separate meal isn't forcing them to eat anything. I don't make separate meals, but I also don't make everyone clean their plates or sit at the table until they take X bites of something. They can choose to make a meal of side dishes, make themselves a sandwich, or not eat. I'm fine with them having food preferences - one has a much more limited scope of preference than the other one - but I don't want someone who expects a special meal every day or won't at least try something or can't manage restaurants or eating at friends houses.

[Anonymous]

I make food they like. How is that so complicated.

I can't eat bread and pasta, I don't force myself because it is on the table.

[Anonymous]

I make sure there is something that they will eat. If it is something new , or something I know they don't like, I will let them eat something else once they have tried a few bites of the dinner. Usually I plan those meals around the days that I know I have leftovers from an earlier meal (e.g. chicken).

[Anonymous]

No, I don't make alternative dinners. I have one kid who will eat what I serve pretty much no matter what. My other kid pretty regularly will skip dinner entirely if she doesn't like what's offered. Very picky eater. I will let picky eater eat banana, apple, cheese stick. If she can get up and get it for herself and it's reasonably healthy, then go for it. I do not let her eat Pirate Booty for dinner or anything like that. Which she would do if I let her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I make sure there is something that they will eat. If it is something new , or something I know they don't like, I will let them eat something else once they have tried a few bites of the dinner. Usually I plan those meals around the days that I know I have leftovers from an earlier meal (e.g. chicken).

However....if they simply refuse to eat a meal that I know they have eaten before and have had no issues with it, then no I do not let them eat anything else.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely not.
But I do try to cook meals that contain at least one thing each member of the family is fine with.
Right now I'm getting some pushback on quinoa, but too bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I make food they like. How is that so complicated.

I can't eat bread and pasta, I don't force myself because it is on the table.

You never try new recipes or foods that you're not sure if they will like?

I will sometimes do a variation on a food I know my picky kid likes and she won't eat it. For example, she eats turkey meatballs but somehow doesn't want a turkey burger even off the bun and broken into smaller pieces. If you have a picky eater, they will also sometimes suddenly stop liking a food they've eaten before.

So that's how it can get complicated.