“Don’t Like It”
January 30th, 2010
Does this scenario ring any bells with you? You want to treat your kids to a delicious meal and so you slave over the stove to make sure the meal has the right nutritional value and is above all, tasty! Then you hear the famous words: “I don’t like it!!!!” Sometimes followed by the even more inane question: “Can I have a bonbon instead?”
I do sometimes wonder why I bother peeling potatoes and carrots, trimming beans, deciding what shape they should be cut in, asking myself if they would be better steamed or roasted or even just boiled. I think the phrase “Don’t like it” is one of the most disheartening things for a parent to hear.
By the way, the same goes for clothes: you spend hours thinking about what you should buy for you little one, what would suit them and what they would be comfortable in… only to be told: “Don’t like it”!!!
My mother always remembered that one winter she decided to only buy me trousers because I did not like tights… only to be told one morning: “I don’t like trousers”. She insisted and had a battle on her hands every morning getting me dressed.
I do know that this is all about kids establishing their independence and a degree of “Don’t like it” is unavoidable. I do sometimes wish that evolution would have left out the independence gene in small kids, ideally replacing it with an appreciation gene…
- Emilie
Entry Filed under: Parenting
8 Comments Add your own
1. Tan | January 30th, 2010 at 7:22 pm
Just went through that dinner scenario tonight – only dad had cooked for a change and I let HIM deal with it lol
2. Susanna | January 31st, 2010 at 9:37 am
Sometimes helps if they participate in the preparation- when they are part of the proceess they are less critical of the results. This works for husbands sometimes too!
3. kim | January 31st, 2010 at 5:07 pm
Haha, only way to avert I don’t like it in our house is to make pancakes or waffles. And we all know we can/t eat those every day!
I think from the age of 3.5-4 you eat what is on your plate, otherwise you will go hungry. Very simple, that’s how I was raised and didn’t do me any harm. I just ignore all the I don’t like it calls and my oldest one knows now, there is no point to it!
Good luck though, I think Susanna’s suggestion is good if you have the time to let them join in in cooking.
xxxKim
4. Dina | February 1st, 2010 at 5:28 pm
That face!!!! so cute!!!! that is exactly what I see approx. 90% of the day at home. I have found that the more effort I put into a meal, the less they like it. The more adorable I find an outfit, the more they hate it. In an effort to remain sane I just turned the power over to my girls and ask them what they want ahead of time. I think 3.5-4 is all about their way or the highway and they will do just about anything to take the opposite stance.
5. tc | February 1st, 2010 at 11:51 pm
Like Dina says, seems like the more effort u put into a meal, the less they like it…. so I tend to stick to simple healthy food rather than too complicated ones. Then also, if they don’t like it u wouldn’t be too disappointed.
My LOs just turned 2 and knows that either they eat their food or they have to go hungry…. seems to work so far and also, I do let them help in the preparations of their meals as much as possible too, which they absolutely love. Both are extremely good eaters….. most days.
6. Kristy | February 2nd, 2010 at 12:34 am
That’s why it feels so good when my little ones actually like something I cooked…tonight they even ate the big broccoli pieces in our broccoli pasta!
7. Mo | February 2nd, 2010 at 11:28 am
I seriously have the world’s fussiest eater – who uses those words all the time, even for things he has never tried but I know he would love – it is so frustrating! I keep myself sane with my ‘thank god he eats that’ list – it is the couple of healthy foods that I know he will eat, if he is having a particularly argumentative day / week / month I prepare a meal from the trust-worthy list and don’t take no for an answer – we have had whole week’s where he has just had fish and corn for supper every night so I don’t have to have the argument, eventually he seems to get to the point where he will try something new. I also totally agree with the cooking with kids thing – I’m not so great at it (because of the mess) but my husband always does it and it is the only time we have a break-though of him trying another food. Oh and another idea (even though i wouldn’t normally advocate playing with your food) we got our non-fruit and veg eating son to try rocket the other day by us eating it in handfuls as if we were lions – he didn’t really like it but at least he tried!
8. emilie | February 3rd, 2010 at 12:21 pm
By the way, I got my daughter to pose for that photo, she doesn’t always pout like that…
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