As a parent, you may find yourself grappling with a child who is less than enthusiastic about mealtime. While my daughter is quite adventurous with food, my 4-year-old son seems to concoct a new excuse daily for why he won’t eat. To paraphrase a famous line from A Christmas Story, “My son expresses his reasons for not eating with the same creativity that other artists use to work with paint or clay. He’s truly a virtuoso.” Here are 39 reasons my son has given for rejecting dinner. What reasons have your children shared?
- I don’t want a baby spoon.
- This spoon is too large.
- Mommy’s cooking is better.
- Oranges are frightening.
- Pasta terrifies me.
- I desire a big boy cup.
- I spilled my drink.
- Water scares me.
- Daddy’s cooking is superior.
- Cantaloupe makes my lips tingle.
- This plain pasta with butter is too spicy.
- I’m tired; can I stop?
- I only eat blue carrots.
- I’m not tired anymore; I just want dessert!
- I’m not hungry for dinner; can I have a snack?
- I don’t like salad (if any tiny speck of green is seen).
- Oops! The dog ate my dinner!
- I fed the dog my fruit; he looked hungry.
- I gave the floor my food; it looked hungry.
- She looked at me.
- He looked at me.
- It’s too cold.
- It’s too hot.
- The dog stared at me.
- I don’t like yellow scrambled eggs.
- My sister touched me.
- My sister won’t sit next to me.
- I’m a chocolatarian; I only eat chocolate (I made this one up, but I suspect it’s coming).
- I want strawberries.
- I don’t like “THOSE” strawberries.
- What are you making? I definitely don’t like that.
- Can I have milk in my cereal?
- Why did you put milk in my cereal?
- How come she gets more? I want more… I’m full; I don’t want my food.
- I liked tomatoes yesterday, not today.
- I dislike this plate.
- I only want the one bowl that’s currently impossible to find.
- I just want cherries! (This was said a day after he would have preferred solitary confinement over touching a cherry).
- This food came within an inch of touching another food. Now the whole plate is ruined.
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In summary, navigating the dining experience with a child can be a complex endeavor filled with a myriad of excuses. However, understanding these reasons can help parents address picky eating habits with empathy and creativity.