By Nikki Phipps
One of the biggest problems found in nearly all households is picky eaters. Yes, I have them too. In fact, there are four in my home, and at times, it seems like a never-ending battle getting them to eat, at least getting them to eat healthy, that is. The trouble with finicky eaters can be found on your grocery bills, which can be higher due to the fact that you are tempted to buy more expensive items to accommodate the picky food preferences of others. Many times fussy eaters refuse to eat cheaper, healthier alternatives as they are deemed as being ‘fake’ when in reality they are actually the same, sharing all the same basic ingredients and in some cases, are even better than their expensive counterparts. Sadly, you wind up throwing out perfectly good food simply because no one will eat it.
However, food preferences are an acquired habit, and like all habits, they can be changed. Nowadays, it seems like parents have taken on different roles, the role of the child, rather than the parent. I have seen too many kids get their way because parents are afraid their children will not like them if they don’t give in. Whatever! Families need to revert to old-school methods of parenting, back to the day when parents instilled the habit of eating the food set before them (and being thankful for it) and not caving into the demands of children unwilling to do so. Children should be given limits with food just as with anything else. They should not be allowed to dictate, as some do, food purchases. Likewise, they should not be allowed to eat whatever, whenever and wherever they want.
Not only do children take cues from parenting styles, but they also take cues from their parent’s eating habits as well. If one parent badmouths a particular food or meal in the presence of children, it is only natural that they, too, will not respond to these foods in a favorable manner. By not eating a particular food, even those well liked or previously eaten, children are simply challenging authority. Cave in to them now and you’ll be doing so for years to come. When children are allowed to manipulate parents, they will continue to do so with others in all areas of life and throughout adulthood. This is not an acceptable behavior to instill in anyone.
Children should be exposed to a variety of foods from the onset rather than limiting their preferences. Parents should be consistent and not afraid to discipline or reprimand their picky children when necessary. By discipline, I don’t mean beating; I mean stepping up to the plate and being a parent. Use your parental authority! Granted, times are different from when most of us were growing up. As a kid, I was expected to clean my plate; otherwise, I was sent to my room. Discipline offers choices. For instance, eat this or you don’t do that. In my home now, if the kids don’t like what is being prepared, they have the option of making a sandwich instead. Alternatively, they can choose not to eat at all. It’s kind of like reverse psychology, the children make the choice, which after all is what they’re after anyway, but the parent still keeps control of the reins.