Modern Parenting Styles That May Harm Children in the Long Run

4.

“I think there is a potential issue if you always get a kid a new meal when they don’t want to eat what you made. I understand and agree with the importance of creating a healthy relationship with food and not wanting to force kids to eat something they don’t want. Still, another thing to teach them is what they should eat to be healthy and that sometimes it’s important to eat what you are given out of politeness, necessity, or appreciation of another person’s effort.”

“There are also times where if you let kids eat what they want, they’ll eat nothing but pasta and goldfish and won’t try anything new. Obviously, balance is key as kids should get a voice in what they eat, and forcing a child to eat when they are full, or something they really really really don’t like or going ‘you eat this or nothing’ is way too far. But if you always make them something else when they could eat what they have in front of them just fine, you might end up with a kid who tells someone ‘Oh, you spent all day laboriously making me my favorite food? Well, I’m feeling like mac and cheese tonight, so I’ll catch ya’ later’ when they are older.”

—Anonymous