“Don’t Like It”
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
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Just went through that dinner scenario tonight – only dad had cooked for a change and I let HIM deal with it lol
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!
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
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.
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.
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!
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!
By the way, I got my daughter to pose for that photo, she doesn’t always pout like that…
Heading to Paris for a week with my 3 1/2 and 5 1/2 girls…suggestions for restaurants and playgrounds? Staying in St. Germain.
Thanks!
Kelly
Kelly sorry it has taken me a wee while to get back to you. The area around St Germain is lovely and I am sure you will find lots of places to go to… I especially recommend the Jardin de Luxembourg if you want them to has a bit of a run around. The playground is great and there is a cute little outdoor cafe that you can have very simple food at. We also love the merry-go-round there. Also try the restaurant at the Bonpoint shop at 6 rue de Tournon, if the weather is nice you can sit outsite in the courtyard and don’t feel like you are in the centre of Paris at all!