We have been having some trouble the past couple of months with grumbling at meal times.
Lovely feedback, like:
"We're having that for supper?"
and
"I don't like this!"
and
"Yuck!"
(sigh)
We have talked with the children several times about this, and told them it was not o.k. for them to respond this way.
Apparently, it wasn't sinking in.
When someone asked what we were having for lunch on the way home from church recently, and responded in an, ahem, ungrateful manner when I told them the answer...I went ballistic and decided it was time to get serious about this.
What Jas and I came up with was this: If you complain about what we're having to eat...you just won't eat.
It took, oh, all of about 24 hours until someone decided to test out this new edict. You know, to see if we really meant it.
Oh, yes...we did.
Daniel complained about something I was fixing for a side dish for supper...so he ended up with a glass of milk for supper.
Daniel stood there in the kitchen with me as I finished preparing our meal that he now knew he was now not going to eat with us.
Daniel: "What are we having for supper tomorrow night?"
Me: (not taking the time to look at our menu calendar right then) "I'm not sure, buddy."
Daniel: "I bet I'll like it!"
And you know what? He did!
And - amazingly enough - everyone of them has loved everything at every meal since then!
That's too funny :) But a great gift to give your children- the ability to accept food gracefully. It's the kind of kid a Mama wants to let stay for supper if they are over to play (as opposed to the other kind the Mama sends right home at supper time!! ) LOL!
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Jennifer
Joli,
ReplyDeleteI think this is a very important thing to instill in our children though it is not always easy.
Jennifer, ummm, looks like you've been there done that, too (with the ungrateful visitor)! ;)