is this necessary or cruel?

Question

is it necessary or cruel to force your child to eat food he or she doesnt like?

Answer 1

Little kids like to think that they have some control over their lives.

I would say " Do you want peas or carrots, meatloaf or a hot dog, potatoes or rice..... followed by " make sure you leave a little bit of something on your plate.

( most obese people were MADE to eat everything on their plate )

Most of you know I was a Police Officer and later a Detective. I worked a case once where a man killed his 5 year old boy by stuffing a hot dog down his throat when the child objected to eating it.

Answer 2

I think it's cruel and not necessary to force your child to eat certain foods. You should be concerned that the child is getting the right food groups and nutrients to help him grow.

You should look at the food groups and find other sources of food that have the right nutrients your child likes and serve that. Think about when you were a child, did you like everything your mother fed you?

Answer 3

Cruel if they really do dislike it. Not everyone likes the same foods. So much food is fortified with vitamins and minerals these days that it really isn't necessary for a child to eat healthy all of the time. Just make sure the child really does not like the food and its not just a ploy to eat something else. Life is too short to spend it fighting over uneaten peas.

Answer 4

I think it's kind of cruel. I had a couple of babysitters when I was young who were stubborn about making me finish my dinner. I remember having to eat breaded veal Parmesan one evening and I did not know what it was at the time. And she made me sit there the rest of the evening after everyone else was long gone. Or outdoors with the flies getting stuck in the food in the summertime. Another one devised a cruel tease of fixing 'lizards for lunch'. I guess they were ground up and mixed into the sloppy Joe. How I LOVED my sensitive, intelligent, understanding Christian babysitters.

Answer 5

If it's something that will better their health, than it's necessary, however if you are forcinng them to eat it because that's the only thing u feel like preparing, than it's cruel

Also ask yourself.. Do you see yourself eating the food that you're forcing them to eat... If the answer is no, than it's cruel!!!

Answer 6

If it's peas, it's cruel ;)

If it's just 1 or 2 foods in particular that they won't eat, it's not necessary to force them. If it's entire food group, then yes, it is necessary.

They have to learn you're not running a restaurant, though (unless of course, you are) so they can't be *too* picky!

Answer 7

Most of the time it's necessary, like with vegetables and other heathly things that taste bad, but are good for you. Your kids aren't going to grow or become healthy without nutrients. Believe me, I once knew a mother who let her kids “eat what they wanted” and they sure didn’t get on track or football or cheerleading nor could they qualify for such acts. If you really want to help you kids and their eating health, make some decisions for them, because when you’re between the ages of 0 - 16 you sometimes don't know what's the best for you.

~Wine Glass

Answer 8

I always made my kids try at least one bite of a new food. If it was served again I also asked them to try one bite. Your taste changes every seven years so by asking them to try foods again and again you may hit on a food that the child likes. I never asked them to eat a whole plate of a food they didn't like but trying one bite won't hurt them. As for vegetables I tried cooked and raw and found ones that my kids liked. I think it's necessary for a parent to make sure that their childs food likes are well rounded. Life isn't all McDonalds.

Answer 9

It is necessary for all children to have a proper diet full of essential vitamins, proteins, and carbs in order to develop correctly both mentally and physically. It is up to the parent to choose whether to compromise on a diet that the kid likes also with those nutrients or to enforce the child to eat what is placed in front of them. Just make sure all of the your childs dietary needs are met before worrying about if your kid is happy with it or not.

Answer 10

I remember being forced to eat food I didn't like. I was horrible. Just ask them to try a bite of a new food, and if they don't like it , OK. Just don't let them talk you into making a different dinner for them than what you are eating. If they are hungry, just remind them that they chose not to eat there dinner. Missing one entree at dinner wont hurt them. As for veggies, what worked with my kids, was how old you were was how many bites of vegetables you had to eat. We even decided how many veggies on a spoon was a bite, like four peas = 1 bite. 2 green beans = 1 bite. I don't know why this worked, but it worked well