The notion of controlling kids' food intake

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

I'm noticing that no one is describing a kid that is eating an excessive amount of leafy green vegetables. 'My kid ate 2 heads of broccoli!!' or a head of lettuce, or a massive pile of kale. :tongue_smilie:

I actually have one who does. I have been known to say, on more than one occasion, “stop eating the broccoli or I’m kicking you out of the kitchenâ€. I’ll be chopping it for dinner and he’ll eat it as fast as I cut it up, raw and plain. He’s eaten an entire head at one sitting before. A couple of weeks ago I found him on the couch with the 8 quart bowl that had been about 1/3 full of kale salad. He’d eaten just about all of it and went on to finish it. Another time he asked for carrots and hummus for a snack. 20 minutes later I found an empty hummus container and empty 1 lb bag of baby carrots. They were unopened when he started. He’s 8. He’s really tall for his age and thin but not skinny. He’s super active. He just loves ALL food. All different tastes, textures, spices, seasonings, the stronger the better. He’ll eat too much of healthy stuff just as easily as junk. I have to limit him from sugary stuff because he has a huge sweet tooth and from the healthy stuff so that the rest of us get some.

[Carol in Cal.]

Yes, I was speaking more generally and did not mean my post to criticize the OP.  There was nothing about the OP that smacked of blaming the victim, it's just that generally posing questions like that can be sensitive.  I do think that timing is important in abuse/rape/torture cases, and something GENERALLY to keep in mind.

But the OP is asking because she wants to make sure she is not doing something abusive. She says she comes from a background that doesn't provide a normal frame of reference. She's trying to make sure she's not like those people in the case in ca. All these people are trying to help her understand what normal looks like. When would be the time for that if not now when she's asking? 

 

[SereneHome]

Never in a million years I could imagine what an issue "food" is in US when we first came here. 

Where I am from, food was an interesting thing. Theoretically people weren't starving.  My family was poor but never hungry.  We just didn't have access to certain foods bc of lack of money and lack of connections.

 

So, when we came here - I thought all the "food" problems were over.  But food is everywhere.  Talked about all.the.time.  Offered at every avenue, event., meeting, etc.

 

I never thought that I would have any problems or questions or concerns when it came to food and my kids.  I always knew that I wouldn't force them to eat things they didn't want and provide healthy foods at home.

 

I can't say they are picky.  I can't say they have food issues.  And yet - there is always something.  My husband is worried that my youngest, who is a fairly big kid, is eating too much.  My oldest is very certain about what he likes or dislikes before he actually tries something.  DS2 will eat something and say he likes it - then won't eat it the next day.

 

So, I still don't force it and try to explain reasoning behind food choices - nutrition, cost, etc.  But at the end of the day, I just hope and pray that they grow up healthy and don't have food issues one way or another