http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-10962398
It's one thing to do this as a hobby and for festivals and dinner parites etc etc, and a perfectly fun thing to do on your child's birthday, and every once in a while and so on, but she gets up at 4AM EVERY morning to fix her daughter's lunch box for school! I will be the first to admit I would never to go these lengths to get my picky kid to eat....we all know the formula....KIDS = PICKY!!! And no picky kid I know withered away living on air and water. One of her comments "its rewarding to feed and keep your children happy" was the one that really got me wondering.....was my son unhappy I fixed him peanut butter jelly sandwiches (but it WAS on healthy whole wheat bread)? And Top Ramen noodles for lunch on weekends??? I hope not....
But in all fairness I will admit her concoctions are beautiful and delectable and healthy, and she is wonderfully creative with food! The winged rice creation put me over the edge.....and the wheely rolls...? Really amazing!
But oh well....that's MY opinion! And I have no intention of offending any mothers out there trying to get their kids to eat!
Am I overreacting? What do you think?
Pic courtesy this
11 comments:
oh god no. I like to cook and try to send healthy lunches to school with my kid. I try to balance everything i.e. cheese stick/yogurt, juice(no sugar added), carbs, and protein. I also add a helping of fruit (grapes, berries, cut up watermelon, cantaloupe...all precut or prewashed and stored in the fridge in little baggies).
But I would never bend over backwards trying to get him to eat anything. I cook once, for everyone...if you don't like it, don't eat it! (hubby is the picky eater in my family) I'm trying to ensure my kid doesn't take after him there;)....
No macdonalds/BK junk (even tho' I crave it myself) and no pizzas either. whole wheat pasta and regular indian food. I have no patience with picky eater nonsense (sorry to other mommies out there who have to deal with it...don't know how you do it----it would drive me nuts)
Healthy food yes...but is the Mom preparing her lil girl to the realities of life? what happens when the Mom gets out of the safe haven of her kitchen or not available to make all these "lunches'?
GB - absolutely agree with you.As long as its nutritious and healthy its good! And hey - if you don't like what I've made, you just have to wait till the next meal!
Anpu - that was my thought exactly! Isn't it sort of sending the wrong message to the child regarding food??? I forsee all kinds of problems later!
Thank goodness I am not the only one thinking this was overdoing it!
everything in moderation i say. teach kids to balance it all out and have a positive and thoughtful relationship with all kinds of food. Kudos to this mom for going all out there...but don't think i could do that even if i wanted to...
The world is changing..The younger generation is not so much into parental control anymore...It is to bringing change in habits with love and tenderness!! I think its a great concept and after all its a creative outlet for a mother..!! If one is creative then it is fun to do this!! I would do that if my baby turns out to be a picky eater..so far no such luck(lol)!!
this reminds me of the Japanese bento boxes. just look for those tiffin boxes decorated in the most creative ways.
Hmmm Purnima, I might have to disagree with you on this! I am certainly not one for freaky parental control, but I do believe parents have to exercise some control with firmness/tough love. It actually helps the kids feel secure in a way and more and more parents are abdicating their parental duties and letting the kids rule the roost! Love and tenderness are needed, no doubt, but not to this extent. I don't believe it is helping to inculate good food habits by doing this. Anpu brings up a good point...what if the child goes to stay with someone else and these fabulous creations are not available?? Children have to learn to recognize hunger, so they do not develop food problems when they become adults!Again, as Designwali says...moderation is the key! But I like a good healthy discusiion like this!
If the mother has time and really enjoys doing this once in a while, that's ok. But to do it regularly to entice the child to eat, BIG NO!!! The child is getting spoiled rotten and will expect such specialities from others too at some point. I totally agree that along with tons of love, parents need to put boundaries for kids and show discipline. Too many parents want to be "friends" with their kids. We can be very friendly and open but we are their PARENTS, not friends! This has worked for me since my teenage son shares a lot with me and we have friendly discussions/laughter but he knows I enforce rules as well with tough love!
I am not a mom (yet)..but with a working mom ..my brother and I were never allowed to be picky...I am not sure how my mom would have handled us then...lol...and yes, i admired her creativity not her out of the way accomodation of a child's fuss...but to each his own right...as i said, i am not a mom so cannot judge other moms
Im surprised at all the comments!! What happenned to the good old adage " To each his own" (or her own in this case). If the fruits of her labour make her child eat better, good for her!!
I dont think she is really advising all the mothers to follow suit!
Im sure many busy working moms will have a lot to say about our clean, picture perfect homes coz for them it is seriously unattainable,what with the dishes in the sink and a dirty toddler to clean up. Does that make us spoilt for wanting beautiful homes?
Post a Comment