Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi All, OP here, thanks for the suggestions! Not really appreciating the judgements on my picky eaters though. We require our kids to try everything, but kids DO have more sensitive tastebuds than adults, and their tastes often evolve over time. I was a VERY picky eater growing up and was NOT forced to try or eat anything I don't like, and I now am a fairly adventurous eater. I DO make my kids eat their fruits and veggies, but beyond that, why bother? I'm not sure this is a "bad habits" issue. Not that I have to defend my picky eaters or parenting choices to anyone...

Here are the things my kids DO like alot:
- Fish Sticks (we buy "healthy" low ingredient ones)
- Chicken Tenders/Nuggets
- Rotisserie Chicken
- Some Mac & Cheeses
- Occasionally Grilled Cheese
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Hot Dogs (we don't allow these often)
- Kielbasa & Perogies (also not often)
- Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes (sometimes yes, sometimes no)
- Cheese Tortellini
- Cheese Pizza
- Cheese Quesadilla
- Turkey/Ham Subs (we limit this as well)
- Beef Tacos
- Sloppy Joe Sandwiches
- Broccoli, Peas, Carrots, Green Beans, Strawberries, Oranges, Apples

They don't like "mixed foods" like casseroles and lasanga. And they don't like spaghetti and meatballs or red sauce (too acidic - canker sores), generally. Or asian sauces (benihana - they are scared of the fire there, PF Changs, Chinese). And they are minimal meat eaters when it comes to burgers and things like that. So this leaves us with not a lot of options.... I'm thinking I'll call the Steakhouse to see what they can offer plain, and think a little more about the Melting Pot as well. Appreciate any ideas or suggestions or things your family does, keep it coming!

You should definitely find something off this list that you know they will like for Christmas dinner, Christmas is not a day for teaching lessons it is a day for family. The pp suggested a fondu idea at home which sounds cool, you kids seem to like cheese so I think its a pretty safe bet.

HOWEVER picky eating is a bad habit allowed by you and your DH. Sure you may have been picky as a kid, but it was your parents who allowed it. The way solve picky eating is pretty damn simple.
1) set up 3 meals a day and 1snack time. No other food is served during the day. All meals are eaten at the table. You may eat what you like, when your finished you may sit at the table till everyone is done and then be excused. No food will be given until the next meal time. All the food that they come into contact with is controlled by you op, so how can you blame the kids for being picky, its what you feed them.

+1. This is all kiddie junk food OP. They are this way because you've allowed it and probably promoted it. You are justifying their actions based on your own memories.

Anonymous wrote:I've been reading all the suggestions for Christmas menus on this board. We have two small kids (7 & 3), and it's just the 4 of us for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Growing up, we did appetizers/snacks on Christmas Eve with tons of family, and maybe a turkey or ham dinner on Christmas Day. The fact is, I don't need all that work for just the 4 of us, when my kids won't eat most of it or appreciate it. Now that we stay home for those two days instead of traveling, I'm trying to find a tradition/way to make it "special" for my kids the way it was for me, even if it's going out to dinner (last year, I think we fed them a "kid" dinner and then grilled steak, etc. for ourselves later, but this year I want it to be more...memorable. My 7 year old liked the idea of going out to dinner instead of breakfast/brunch on Christmas Eve day... but suggested our local pizza place. We do love it there, but it doesn't seem very special, considering we go 1-2x/month. I was thinking about doing something they've never done, like the Melting Pot. That seems fun/special, although risky with a 7-yo who will probably say the cheese tastes wierd and make faces, and our youngest may be stressful around the hot plates....? My other idea was our local and very nice steakhouse, however last time we took the kids, we brought them grilled cheese sandwiches from Five Guys since there isn't a kids menu there. Any other ideas? I'd like us to go out, especially since we literally sit home in our PJ's for those two days - it's very relaxing but nice to get out.

OP we take my son out to dinner all the time. He can be picky and it's not for lack of trying on our part. I like the idea of a steakhouse-- choose an early time on Christmas Eve. Call in advance and ask if they could do a hamburger or a small steak and mashed potatoes for the kids. Bring a few distractions (crayons, paper). It will be a nice and could be a tradition. We eat out in Christmas Eve, after early church services, just the tree of of us, and it's my favorite meal of the year. Go with the flow, order the kids a small dessert. Designate a driver so the other can enjoy a bit of wine.
Christmas Day is a good day for Pjs and playing with new toys. You could do a small ham (pre-cooked) rolls, etc. easy-peasy. I love that you're thinking of ways to make things special for your family. Merry Christmas

Christmas Eve , we cater to my son and have a food he will like.

In my mind, Christmas Eve is really exciting for kids so why ruin that. Christmas dinner is more for the adults.

Anonymous wrote:Hi All, OP here, thanks for the suggestions! Not really appreciating the judgements on my picky eaters though. We require our kids to try everything, but kids DO have more sensitive tastebuds than adults, and their tastes often evolve over time. I was a VERY picky eater growing up and was NOT forced to try or eat anything I don't like, and I now am a fairly adventurous eater. I DO make my kids eat their fruits and veggies, but beyond that, why bother? I'm not sure this is a "bad habits" issue. Not that I have to defend my picky eaters or parenting choices to anyone...

Here are the things my kids DO like alot:
- Fish Sticks (we buy "healthy" low ingredient ones)
- Chicken Tenders/Nuggets
- Rotisserie Chicken
- Some Mac & Cheeses
- Occasionally Grilled Cheese
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Hot Dogs (we don't allow these often)
- Kielbasa & Perogies (also not often)
- Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes (sometimes yes, sometimes no)
- Cheese Tortellini
- Cheese Pizza
- Cheese Quesadilla
- Turkey/Ham Subs (we limit this as well)
- Beef Tacos
- Sloppy Joe Sandwiches
- Broccoli, Peas, Carrots, Green Beans, Strawberries, Oranges, Apples

They don't like "mixed foods" like casseroles and lasanga. And they don't like spaghetti and meatballs or red sauce (too acidic - canker sores), generally. Or asian sauces (benihana - they are scared of the fire there, PF Changs, Chinese). And they are minimal meat eaters when it comes to burgers and things like that. So this leaves us with not a lot of options.... I'm thinking I'll call the Steakhouse to see what they can offer plain, and think a little more about the Melting Pot as well. Appreciate any ideas or suggestions or things your family does, keep it coming!

You should definitely find something off this list that you know they will like for Christmas dinner, Christmas is not a day for teaching lessons it is a day for family. The pp suggested a fondu idea at home which sounds cool, you kids seem to like cheese so I think its a pretty safe bet.

HOWEVER picky eating is a bad habit allowed by you and your DH. Sure you may have been picky as a kid, but it was your parents who allowed it. The way solve picky eating is pretty damn simple.
1) set up 3 meals a day and 1snack time. No other food is served during the day. All meals are eaten at the table. You may eat what you like, when your finished you may sit at the table till everyone is done and then be excused. No food will be given until the next meal time. All the food that they come into contact with is controlled by you op, so how can you blame the kids for being picky, its what you feed them.

I get thst some kids are just pickier but the fact that the list of foods a kid will eat is populated by kids menu type items ( Mac n cheese, nuggets, fish sticks, hot dogs, etc.) presupposes that they've been repeatedly exposed to those things. One of our kids is much pickier than the other but just eats plain versions of real food (i.e. Plain roast chicken without sauce instead of chicken nuggets, plain steamed fish instead of fish sticks). Both of my kids have had chicken nuggets, etc but we never have them in the house and rarely go to restaurants where they are served. Parents have to take some responsibility for what their kids are exposed to/eat.

People that think parents can control their child eating do not have picky eaters. I thought any parent could teach good sleep habits with CIO which was a total success with my #1. We were just as committed (if not more) with #2 and it flopped. Then I realized that it mostly the child not the parents strategy that affect the outcome. In the same way my #1 is a great eater. My #2 the opposite of that. Same house. Same practices. She just seems to be a very sensitive taster. Force feeding a kid something they do not wish to eat is just wrong to me.

OP - I see on your list they like Pierogis. Do you make them from scratch? Would that be an activity you could all do together and then gobble up for Xmas eve dinner?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, OP. This is so sad. Another reason not to let your kids grow up to be picky eaters.

Why don't you just try telling them that this is dinner, this is where we're going, and it will be a wonderful family dinner? It's time to get past your current mindset.

Not letting your kids be picky eaters is like not letting your kids be short.. I would not want my families Christmas to include sulky hungry kids who just ate bread for dinner..

Absolutely not. What OP describes is the result of letting bad habits get out of hand.

I agree. If you have to bring grilled cheese for a seven year old especially because "there's no kids menu" you've made some food habit wrong turns. This is why I'm completely oposed to kids meals, kids menus, and the like. They foster taste buds that only recognize fat, salt, and sugar (often all fried together).

Really? So my kid should choose off of the adult menu and have a $30-35 entree that he would not like or eat, because it's all filets, prime rib, crabcakes, pork chops, salmon, fresh fish of the day? I think NOT.

Then you will reap what you sow. Yes, your kids should be eating off the adult menu. They can split plates, order appetizers as entrees, take home what they don't finish, etc. But don't ever let them get used to a kids menu.

Ridiculous. Like anyone would ever order their 3-year old a $35 entree. My 3-year old often eats about 3 bites for dinner. And doesn't like MEAT. Um, NO.

YES! People do it all the time.

My kids are picky eaters, but they surprisingly like crab legs. We are making that our tradition for New Years Eve dinner.

For Christmas dinner, I make a traditional dinner kind of like Thanksgiving, but take some shortcuts since the kids don't eat most of what we adults like. I am making turkey, pre-made mashed potatoes, pre-made mac and cheese, gravy, stuffing, broccoli casserole and salmon for the picky eater who doesn't eat turkey. Then we will all enjoy cookies and pumpkin pie for dessert. I still want my traditional meal even if the kids don't eat a lot of it.

Then New Years Eve, we buy crab legs and steam them at home. We each eat about a pound and have a grand time. Later on, we have cheese and chocolate fondue leading up to New Years. My girls are 8 and 10 years old and seem picker than yours I think. I remember being forced to eat food as a child, and I don't want to go there.

I also have kids similar in age. I was looking at either Bonefish grill or Founding Farmers for dinner Christmas Eve. Both of my kids are fine at either place. Or do Ruth Chris like pp said and see if they can make a burger.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, OP. This is so sad. Another reason not to let your kids grow up to be picky eaters.

Why don't you just try telling them that this is dinner, this is where we're going, and it will be a wonderful family dinner? It's time to get past your current mindset.

Some people are just born vehemently disliking lots of flavors. My parents raised two kids the same way and one is picky while one isn't. You can expose a small child to lots of flavors, have them shop, have them help cook, and they'll still be miserable at the dinner table and cry at restaurants that have unfamiliar foods.

If you read OP's post carefully, you can pretty easily see that is not what's going on here. She's catered to whims for too long and created problems.

She said one thing gives her kids canker sores from the acidity. I don't think you can fault a child for that. They shouldn't just have to suck it up and deal with a painful physical reaction. They're not soldiers in an army here.

That is correct. My child won't eat red sauce (eats white pizza) on anything, sausage, or orange juice due to the acidity and canker sores. Catering to whims, and creating an enjoyable meal for my children are quite different.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, OP. This is so sad. Another reason not to let your kids grow up to be picky eaters.

Why don't you just try telling them that this is dinner, this is where we're going, and it will be a wonderful family dinner? It's time to get past your current mindset.

Some people are just born vehemently disliking lots of flavors. My parents raised two kids the same way and one is picky while one isn't. You can expose a small child to lots of flavors, have them shop, have them help cook, and they'll still be miserable at the dinner table and cry at restaurants that have unfamiliar foods.

If you read OP's post carefully, you can pretty easily see that is not what's going on here. She's catered to whims for too long and created problems.

RUDE.

Your taste buds are actually replaced about every every two weeks! Most children have about 10,000 taste buds but as they grow, some taste buds stop being replaced. Adults often have about 5,000 working taste buds. This explains why some foods taste much more intense to children, and the decline in number of taste buds makes more foods palatable to adults as some food's intensity isn't tastes as strongly. In a study published in the February 2005 issue of Pediatrics, researches at Monell Chemical Senses state that most children do not like bitter tastes, which can interfere with the consumption of vegetables, while adults do not mind these flavors.

A 2002 study at the University of Western Sydney shows that there is a greater density of taste buds in a child's papillae compared to adults that is linked to children having a higher predisposition to sugar. The same study also shows that teenagers have higher anterior papillae density than adults. Around the time children become teenagers, Science Nordic states the "Mass Experiment 2012" study at the University of Copenhagen shows that teens have a decreased interest in sugary tastes. Teenagers portray an increased ability and sophistication in in distinguishing between tastes as a result, although they are even less likely to try new foods than very young children.

Scientific American mentions on its website that super tasters are persons that have an unusually high density of papillae, which makes flavors very intense to them. While one person would describe as slightly sweet or salty can be overpowering to a super taster. These rare people have a preference for bland foods, because they probably find more taste in bland foods than people who have an average number of papillae. While child super tasters may have a more diverse palate as they age, they will probably be considered "picky" their entire life because of their heightened awareness of tastes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, OP. This is so sad. Another reason not to let your kids grow up to be picky eaters.

Why don't you just try telling them that this is dinner, this is where we're going, and it will be a wonderful family dinner? It's time to get past your current mindset.

Some people are just born vehemently disliking lots of flavors. My parents raised two kids the same way and one is picky while one isn't. You can expose a small child to lots of flavors, have them shop, have them help cook, and they'll still be miserable at the dinner table and cry at restaurants that have unfamiliar foods.

If you read OP's post carefully, you can pretty easily see that is not what's going on here. She's catered to whims for too long and created problems.

She said one thing gives her kids canker sores from the acidity. I don't think you can fault a child for that. They shouldn't just have to suck it up and deal with a painful physical reaction. They're not soldiers in an army here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, OP. This is so sad. Another reason not to let your kids grow up to be picky eaters.

Why don't you just try telling them that this is dinner, this is where we're going, and it will be a wonderful family dinner? It's time to get past your current mindset.

Not letting your kids be picky eaters is like not letting your kids be short.. I would not want my families Christmas to include sulky hungry kids who just ate bread for dinner..

Absolutely not. What OP describes is the result of letting bad habits get out of hand.

I agree. If you have to bring grilled cheese for a seven year old especially because "there's no kids menu" you've made some food habit wrong turns. This is why I'm completely oposed to kids meals, kids menus, and the like. They foster taste buds that only recognize fat, salt, and sugar (often all fried together).

Really? So my kid should choose off of the adult menu and have a $30-35 entree that he would not like or eat, because it's all filets, prime rib, crabcakes, pork chops, salmon, fresh fish of the day? I think NOT.

Then you will reap what you sow. Yes, your kids should be eating off the adult menu. They can split plates, order appetizers as entrees, take home what they don't finish, etc. But don't ever let them get used to a kids menu.

Ridiculous. Like anyone would ever order their 3-year old a $35 entree. My 3-year old often eats about 3 bites for dinner. And doesn't like MEAT. Um, NO.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, OP. This is so sad. Another reason not to let your kids grow up to be picky eaters.

Why don't you just try telling them that this is dinner, this is where we're going, and it will be a wonderful family dinner? It's time to get past your current mindset.

Some people are just born vehemently disliking lots of flavors. My parents raised two kids the same way and one is picky while one isn't. You can expose a small child to lots of flavors, have them shop, have them help cook, and they'll still be miserable at the dinner table and cry at restaurants that have unfamiliar foods.

If you read OP's post carefully, you can pretty easily see that is not what's going on here. She's catered to whims for too long and created problems.