Anonymous
Post 04/10/2020 19:18     Subject: Do you make separate dinner for your kids? Or do they eat what you eat?
My baby’s too young for me to answer, but growing up, neither my DH or I were raised eating separate meals. We always ate what our parents ate. If we didn’t like it, too bad. Honestly, we never ate frozen food, but mom was stay at home as well.

I used to nanny during my college years, and it always baffled me to see parents give their kid a hot dog or piece of bread for dinner if that’s what they wanted. Not trying to sound like a snob...but from a nutritional standpoint, but I could never feed that to my own kid knowing what is and isn’t in it. Kids are not going to starve themselves. I truly believe picky eaters are created.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2020 19:09     Subject: Re:Do you make separate dinner for your kids? Or do they eat what you eat?
Both dh and I are East Asian (our parents are immigrants). We always ate what our parents ate. Now our kids eat what we eat. Dh isn't a short order cook and we eat as a family. It never occurred to us to make a separate meal for our kids.

Anonymous
Post 04/10/2020 19:04     Subject: Do you make separate dinner for your kids? Or do they eat what you eat?
Anonymous wrote:In the low carb craziness I feel like everyone has forgotten the mainstay of family dinner- bread and butter. If you don’t like dinner here, eat more bread and drink your milk. DOnt expect dessert if you don’t try at your food. No one will starve.


So funny, we literally discussed this at family dinner a few nights ago. When I used to summer with my midwestern grandparents, on both sides of the family, there always always was a plate of white bread with butter on the side at lunch and dinner.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2020 19:02     Subject: Do you make separate dinner for your kids? Or do they eat what you eat?
Anonymous wrote:I’ll be honest — I cook separate meals for them about half of the times I cook. I mean, I am not going to force my kids to eat scallops or seared rate tuna if they don’t want to.


I wouldn't either but are you regularly making meals like that? My weeknight staples are family friendly by nature.! If I were ordering takeout, I'd pick something separate and less adventurous for the littler kids, but if I'm cooking, no way am I also making buttered noodles or sandwiches on the side. It's not that I really judge parents who do, it's just that I'm too way too lazy to be a short order cook for three kids' different palates.

Anonymous
Post 04/10/2020 18:59     Subject: Do you make separate dinner for your kids? Or do they eat what you eat?
Anonymous wrote:They don't always eat what we eat but I don't make them anything else!

I do always put something on their plate that I know they like. And if they try everything they get a treat after dinner (even if just a bite of something).

Currently doing it with my 4 and 2 year old. As soon as he was eating real food and not like, cut up pieces of grapes and avocado, he was at the dinner table eating what we eat.

One thing that I think makes this work (four year old is now a good eater and tries everything, ate a scallop a couple days ago) is that it is not a fight. If they don't want to eat it is no big deal. We don't fight about it and there are no punishments. Sometimes they get mad at me if they're hungry and don't like what I made. And in that case if they try everything but don't like it I will make them like, a piece of toast or something.

Another thing that helps is trying to observe like, are they starving today? If so I'll make quesadillas or spaghetti or something I know is a guaranteed hit so they aren't STARVING. But I observe and make that decision without their input so they don't think they can control the outcome of dinner.


Like why do you keep saying like?
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2020 18:47     Subject: Do you make separate dinner for your kids? Or do they eat what you eat?
In the low carb craziness I feel like everyone has forgotten the mainstay of family dinner- bread and butter. If you don’t like dinner here, eat more bread and drink your milk. DOnt expect dessert if you don’t try at your food. No one will starve.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2020 18:40     Subject: Do you make separate dinner for your kids? Or do they eat what you eat?
Anonymous wrote:I am wondering about something after I read your update, op. You said you ate popcorn a ton instead of meals. I wonder what your childhood home meals were like? The reason I am wondering if that my college age kids are at home now. I am finding that ds and dd want all kinds of food. Meatloaf, fish and green beans, curries, pork chops, steaks, rice dishes, calamari, beans, soups, I mean like I am some kind of a all cuisine restaurant chef! Did I create these monsters? Was it that I cooked too much when they were kids? I am tried from cooking. Maybe I created the opposite, these nightmare, where is my smoked salmon and avocado everything bagel, and you can't really expect me to eat a plain sandwich douche bags! I always thought it is great to cook and have a variety of dishes, but boy, I am not that happy about it now!


DAFUQ are you talking about? If my college-age kids were in the house right now, THEY WOULD BE COOKING DINNER. We'd be on a rotation. And nobody's ass would be complaining.

If my kids were in their late teens/early 20s and had THE NERVE to complain to me about the food situation? Guess what, bitches? You are now cooking for a solid week.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2020 18:39     Subject: Do you make separate dinner for your kids? Or do they eat what you eat?
Anonymous wrote:I’ll be honest — I cook separate meals for them about half of the times I cook. I mean, I am not going to force my kids to eat scallops or seared rate tuna if they don’t want to.


I don't force my kid to take even one bite if she doesn't want to, and yet she tries almost everything eventually and I never make something separate. I'm not saying I'm not partly lucky, but IRL I don't know of many parents who even attempt this. Most either make separate meals or force their kids.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2020 18:38     Subject: Do you make separate dinner for your kids? Or do they eat what you eat?
Always what we eat.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2020 18:37     Subject: Do you make separate dinner for your kids? Or do they eat what you eat?
Agree that MANY (maybe not most, but many) middle class+ families, especially white families, either make separate meals or intentionally eat a very limited so-called "kid-friendly" menu most of the time. Pizza, Mac and cheese, etc.

My friends are mostly either quirky whites and/or POC and most don't cater much to kids but... 1) some of them do and 2) most of the other white families I randomly meet do tend to cater, as well.

Anonymous
Post 04/10/2020 18:35     Subject: Do you make separate dinner for your kids? Or do they eat what you eat?
I don't cook separate meals, but do deconstruct meals. Or if I know DD1 hates tilapia, I'll be sure the side dish is something she loves. That way I know she's eating and full. I don't make dinners I know the majority would hate (DD3 and I are the only ones who like spicy food) but do make sure they try everything.

It's a balancing act. They do have to be forced to try new food but I don't want dinner to be a disaster.

Plus if I didn't make them take a bite of everything there are so many foods they'd miss out on.

Anonymous
Post 04/10/2020 18:12     Subject: Do you make separate dinner for your kids? Or do they eat what you eat?
They eat what we eat, 90% of the time.

If we order Chinese takeout, which I know they truly don't like, I'll make them mac and cheese. But mostly because I don't want to waste yummy Chinese food/money on them!

Or if I make eggplant parm, same deal--they have to try two bites, but I'll make them something else.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2020 18:09     Subject: Do you make separate dinner for your kids? Or do they eat what you eat?
I’ll be honest — I cook separate meals for them about half of the times I cook. I mean, I am not going to force my kids to eat scallops or seared rate tuna if they don’t want to.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2020 18:06     Subject: Re:Do you make separate dinner for your kids? Or do they eat what you eat?
Either people who cook separate meals for kids down want to report it on this thread, or people aren't being entirely truthful. Of all the families I've eaten dinner with only a few are strict about having kids eat the same meal. I did cook separate meals for my daughter until she was about 5. She ate a lot of buttered noodles and mac and cheese. Now at 9 she eats a really wide variety of food. I'll often give her two choices for dinner of meals that sound good to me and she picks one. If you think you're 5 year old is ready, I would definitely start transitioning them to more regular dinner, but I wouldn't push the littler one too hard.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2020 17:59     Subject: Do you make separate dinner for your kids? Or do they eat what you eat?
Anonymous wrote:I am wondering about something after I read your update, op. You said you ate popcorn a ton instead of meals. I wonder what your childhood home meals were like? The reason I am wondering if that my college age kids are at home now. I am finding that ds and dd want all kinds of food. Meatloaf, fish and green beans, curries, pork chops, steaks, rice dishes, calamari, beans, soups, I mean like I am some kind of a all cuisine restaurant chef! Did I create these monsters? Was it that I cooked too much when they were kids? I am tried from cooking. Maybe I created the opposite, these nightmare, where is my smoked salmon and avocado everything bagel, and you can't really expect me to eat a plain sandwich douche bags! I always thought it is great to cook and have a variety of dishes, but boy, I am not that happy about it now!


This reads like a humble brag to me but yeah, you did create the monsters. They should be helping out in the kitchen, each of them at least 1-2x a week. Universities have significantly relaxed their grading policies this semester and can’t hang out with friends so they have plenty of time.