I'm not that strict. We only have a problem at supper time. My 4 year old used to eat almost everything. She has become very picky in the last 6 months. I think it started because when my hubby isn't home or late (which was a lot recently) I fix her something simple that she likes. My husband thinks it is my fault since I don't make her sit there until the food is cold and she is crying in her spaghetti OR tell her she won't get anything else to eat until she finishes her supper. This tactic did not work for me when I was a kid. I would wait until my parents left the room and then hide it in the trash can or something like that. The worst part about it is that my husband is extremely picky also. I told him I was going to fix brussel sprouts and make him eat it. I've been making her something simple and keeping the peace. What is your strategy?

I'm not strict at all...I can't imagine being forced to eat something I didn't like or want, so I wouldn't dream of doing that to my child. I'm not sure what purpose it serves? That the parent is 'in charge'? My kids know that without me forcing them to eat things they don't like...LOL.

My older son was very very picky for many years. If he didn't like what we were having, I'd make him a PB sandwich or let him have a bowl of cereal. It was just a non-issue in our house. He's 13 now and eats almost everything. My younger son is now getting picky about some things...but again, we just roll with it.

This is just not a battle I choose to take on...there are so many other things that are more important IMO.

We're not that strict at all with the kids as there are things we don't like to eat either. But we do have a rule that they have to try a good bite of something before they say they don't like it. Once they've established, after several meals with that food, that they don't like it then they only have to try it every now and again as tastes do change over time.

We rarely have a meal where there's not at least one thing they don't like and often my older two will trade with each other the stuff they don't like at a meal. If they are still hungry after eating what they do like then they can have a bowl of cereal or fruit or a PB&J. It's really not worth the effort to fight over food as long as they are eating a variety of food overall. It's not going to kill them to skip meat one meal or no vegetable one meal.

If I make something for dh and I that I know the girls won't eat I make something else for them. If it's something new they do have to try it before they say "I don't like that".

I'm not strict at all. I don't cook different meals for everyone, but I often modify what I am cooking to their individual tastes. For example, tonight we are having tacos and the older one hates beans and loves chicken and the younger one loves beans and hates chicken, so one will have chicken tacos and one will have bean tacos. And dh and I will have the rest! Neither one of my kids are good green veggie eaters, so if I have a green veggie for dinner I will usually just give them a serving of fresh fruit instead. I never force them to eat anything, but if they don't eat some healthy food they get no dessert.

I only have a toddler, but I don't stress on it. He sits there with it for a few minutes (sometimes it takes him a couple of little bites to warm up to it) and if he really doesn't want it and keeps pushing it away, he doesn't have to eat it. I'll make him a pb&j or a cream cheese sandwich instead, I figure he's still getting a little bit of protein and it's on wheat bread. I do serve him different kinds of veggies and fruits through the day so if he refuses to eat broccoli at dinner, it's really not that big of a deal. I also make him something separate when I know we're having a meal he can't or won't eat, but as I said, he's still a toddler.
I don't plan on fighting it as he gets older. There's nothing wrong with modifying a meal as Maggie does with the chicken and beans, to make it good for the whole family. I think kids need to try it and if they really can't handle it, then eat a pb&j. Especially if they generally eat a balanced, healthy diet. It becomes a power struggle the more you fight it. From what I've seen with other's kids, kids go through stages and eventually they'll get tired of pb&j every night. I do think you need to keep it simple so you don't end up feeling like a shortorder cook.

I do have picky eaters and I hear it is natural. I would never force them to eat that could just create bigger problems down the road. I do not short order cook either. I always have something they all like and a little of everything else. They do have to try a bite of everything. My 5 yr old after 3 yrs of this has discovered he likes spinach with butter and broccoli. He also doesn't fight me to try things.

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"Before I was a Mom I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body." ~Anonymous

Not at all. If my kids don't want what we are eating, they get someithing else simple like cereal or a corn dog or a peanut butter sandwich.

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~Happiness is a large family~

I'm not at all strict, if they do not want what I cooked then they can have something else. I will not turn meal time into a battle, its just not worth it.

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I'm not super strict. I make one 'country style meal' - all the dishes are served in bowls on the table. The kids need to finish what they take so they don't waste and they have to choose at least one fruit or vegetable (they can get something out of the fruit bowl if they don't want the meal's veggie selection.) I don't make separate meals or allow them to have something else instead but they may eat the parts they like (ie two servings of potatoes and no salad).

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