This is not a battle I fight with my kids. Family meal time is really important to me and fighting with the kids over what is served would just not make it pleasant. I wouldn't want to be forced to eat something I didn't want/like...so it's not something I'm going to do with my children. I guess, I just don't see the point.

When I make something that the kids are not fond of, they know that they can have a bowl of cereal or a PB sandwich, a yogurt, fruit etc Whatever they want. It's just not a big deal and oddly enough, they don't take that option very often. They've both gone through phases of not liking certain things but overall, they both eat a very varied diet. My big thing, is that they are NOT to complain. They are NOT to say something is gross or icky etc

When my kids were younger (until about age 5) I would make a sandwich or let them have cereal instead of what we were having, but they had to try it first, even if it was something they had tried two weeks ago and didn't like. I felt they were not really giving things a chance and taking that option too often, so I stopped it.

Now what I do is to make sure I have at least one thing every night that both of my kids like. My oldest loves any kind of potatoes and my youngest likes any kind of bread, so even if they don't like anything else for dinner, they don't go to bed hungry. I have also been known to warm up a can of green beans with just about any meal (I hate canned beans, but they both love them). I think by not making them a separate meal they are giving more foods a chance - taking 4 or 5 bites instead of just 1 or 2. I also don't hear complaints - they know that they won't get something different by complaining so they just politely refuse more of something they don't like.

i make a menu plan for the week)...and if they do not want to eat what i make for supper then they do not eat supper that night. they HAVE to try one new supper every two weeks..one of us will pick it and it has gone quite well actually.

I don't make a separate meal for my kids. They are 1 and 3 so I think that it is important for them to learn to try new foods early on. That being said we do have nights where I am making something that the kids won't eat that I make them one thing and us something else. Since it usually the main course that they don't like, I make everything else the same, but warm up leftovers for them instead of what we are having. That way we don't have a fight, but they have to eat most of what I made for dinner. I also make them try a few bites of whatever we are having. My DD who is 3 has learned that she likes a lot of things that she thought she didn't this way.

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Brandy, SAHM to Jodi & Andrew

I will not fight with my kids about dinner. If they do not want what I make, they can have a bowl of cereal and toast.

Thank you all for your replies. It is so refreshing to know that many of you go through much of the same things. We almost always have something that the kids will eat...they will eat the veggie or the fruit or whatever...it's usually the main meal that the older two won't touch. I have let them do the sandwhich or the cereal more times that I can count...I guess sometimes it's just that feeling that trying to repeatedly make something I think they will like and then they turn up their noses can be very frustrating.
My oldest has a thing with certain foods/textures and he will throw up if he gets certain things in his food...like a small piece of mushroom. It is not pleasant! I would never force him to eat any of those foods. I just wish they would eat a few more things.
I guess with time this may pass and they may become more accepting of other things. It's hard when my 2 yr old is happily eating whatever I make and then the older two get a sandwhich and she will no longer what she is eating and says she doesn't like it when I know she does. She just always wants to do what they are doing. I will take the suggestion that the kids are not allowed to say it's gross, icky and so on. Maybe that will help with that part of it.
Thanks again for letting me know I am not alone!!

I don't fix a special meal for anyone anymore I didn't like being a short order cook. What I do is I put something on the plate that everyone likes and if they choose to only eat that then fine. I do require them to take a bit of everything because your taste buds change all of the time so you just never know. The good news is my kids like chicken, fruit and veggies so I am pretty safe with most of my meals.

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maybe you can try to get your kids in the kitchen to help cook....kids seem to more interested in eating things they have helped in some way with.

we make sure there are one or two things the kids will eat at the dinner meal.. if i know for a fact they won't eat anything we are having i will make them something simple.. like the prime example is my oldest the only meat he will eat is chicken he does not do red meat at all even in dishes so i have tons of grilled chicken on hand that i can substitute his chicken for beef in meals like tacos ect.

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I too am not a short order cook. I cook one meal and that is it. I am lucky that my kids are pretty good eaters and they know that they have to try everything once. If there is something that they do not like, almost always it is a side dish or something, so they will still eat some meat. I always serve a salad or raw veggies with dip along with a veggie with dinner. So if they are still hungry, they will munch on more salad or raw veggies before they leave the table. I did try the pb & j sandwich thing for awhile, but than they would just opt for that instead of trying the food already on their plates. So I do not do that anymore.

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