How are kids' appetites influenced by their parents, or whomever they eat with on a daily basis? Are they directly influenced by the way other people eat? The reason I'm thinking about this is because of the kids' friends that have been over the past couple of weeks.
Each of my kids had a sleepover guest last weekend, and each child had such a varied appetite and level of pickiness that astounds me. At dinner last week, Bob brought home "Boston Market" rotisserie chicken with all the fixings. I figured we'd be able to please everybody that way.
I was shocked by the smallest guest, who is all of two going on three, who informed me that " little kids 'spose to have hot dogs, Beff." I don't serve hot dogs, only once in a great while as a treat, even then, they're usually "healthy" ones that no kid wants. She poked at some mashed potatoes, and finally ate teeny bits of chopped chicken only because Bob told her she needed to have some food.
Last night, we had another guest, who eats nearly nothing. My kids are difficult enough to feed, but they all have voracious appetites and apparently eat enough, even if it's hard to find things they will ingest, but because they are all overweight on the BMI charts.
So, why do kids eat the way they do? Is it monkey-see monkey-do? Or, does it depend on what's offered/not offered, what's allowed/what's not allowed? Why does my daughter try most anything, and is simply easy to please - but my son is picky to the point of eating oatmeal for many meals instead of what's offered?
The sleepover guest, has ingested in the last 16 or so hours, about 1/4 of a grilled cheese sandwich that his mother delivered to him and a few bits of sliced apple this morning. When I set the bowls out for breakfast, I also set out four boxes of cereal, including at least two sugary (non typically allowed choices) choices, thinking he'd at least pick one of those. He asked for oatmeal. Go figure. I made him a bowl of oatmeal, instant with flavor, and he pushed it around and ate not a bit of it. I don't really make a fuss with guests, they'll eat if they're hungry enough, so I threw it away after letting it stew for an hour. He asked me right after that, for "Doritos." Hmm. I told him, "Not at breakfast, kid." Then, he got an apple. He also saw me cleaning the kitchen, and putting a container of cookies away, and he asked for those, too. I wonder if he's just allowed to have whatever he'll eat because he's very picky? He is a small kid - so maybe that's the way it works in his house. I suppose if I had a hard time getting my kids to gain weight or keep some meat on their bones, I'd allow a lot more, but we've got the opposite problem.
So, what do you think? Why do kids eat the way they do?
"Mama, I need a snack now!"
How are kids' appetites influenced by their parents, or whomever they eat with on a daily basis? Are they directly influenced by the way other people eat? The reason I'm thinking about this is because of the kids' friends that have been over the past couple of weeks.
Each of my kids had a sleepover guest last weekend, and each child had such a varied appetite and level of pickiness that astounds me. At dinner last week, Bob brought home "Boston Market" rotisserie chicken with all the fixings. I figured we'd be able to please everybody that way.
I was shocked by the smallest guest, who is all of two going on three, who informed me that " little kids 'spose to have hot dogs, Beff." I don't serve hot dogs, only once in a great while as a treat, even then, they're usually "healthy" ones that no kid wants. She poked at some mashed potatoes, and finally ate teeny bits of chopped chicken only because Bob told her she needed to have some food.
Last night, we had another guest, who eats nearly nothing. My kids are difficult enough to feed, but they all have voracious appetites and apparently eat enough, even if it's hard to find things they will ingest, but because they are all overweight on the BMI charts.
So, why do kids eat the way they do? Is it monkey-see monkey-do? Or, does it depend on what's offered/not offered, what's allowed/what's not allowed? Why does my daughter try most anything, and is simply easy to please - but my son is picky to the point of eating oatmeal for many meals instead of what's offered?
The sleepover guest, has ingested in the last 16 or so hours, about 1/4 of a grilled cheese sandwich that his mother delivered to him and a few bits of sliced apple this morning. When I set the bowls out for breakfast, I also set out four boxes of cereal, including at least two sugary (non typically allowed choices) choices, thinking he'd at least pick one of those. He asked for oatmeal. Go figure. I made him a bowl of oatmeal, instant with flavor, and he pushed it around and ate not a bit of it. I don't really make a fuss with guests, they'll eat if they're hungry enough, so I threw it away after letting it stew for an hour. He asked me right after that, for "Doritos." Hmm. I told him, "Not at breakfast, kid." Then, he got an apple. He also saw me cleaning the kitchen, and putting a container of cookies away, and he asked for those, too. I wonder if he's just allowed to have whatever he'll eat because he's very picky? He is a small kid - so maybe that's the way it works in his house. I suppose if I had a hard time getting my kids to gain weight or keep some meat on their bones, I'd allow a lot more, but we've got the opposite problem.
So, what do you think? Why do kids eat the way they do?
"Mama, I need a snack now!"