# A teenager doesn't know how to cut up her own food **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 26, 2012, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-teenager-doesnt-know-how-to-cut-up-her-own-food/645146 "2012-12-26T02:41:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-teenager-doesnt-know-how-to-cut-up-her-own-food/645146/121 "2012-12-27T18:02:17Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > I didn’t identify the child or parent. I was commenting on a general observation that kids in our fast food society are not taught table manners. This child, to my eye, exemplified that observation. That’s a very broad brush. Most kids I know have a range of age appropriate table manners. Bad manners and the inability to scoop mashed potatoes with a fork, to me are very different issues. ---
**Author:** ![eclectic\_wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac91a4/32.png) [@eclectic\_wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eclectic_wench)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-teenager-doesnt-know-how-to-cut-up-her-own-food/645146/122 "2012-12-27T18:06:20Z")
See, to me, this story doesn’t come across as exemplifying the Younger Generation’s lack of table manners. That’s how the steak-cutting thing would have read to me, too - but not being able to deal with mashed potatoes? Like someone said upthread, an 18-month-old given a fork for the first time will figure that out within a couple of swipes. Either this girl’s fine motor coordination wasn’t up to 18-month-old standards, or her mental development wasn’t up to 18-month-old standards, or she was deliberately trying to piss off her dad. ‘She’d never eaten mashed potatoes before’ wouldn’t explain it. And yeah, every generation thinks the next has crap table manners/is too picky/has crap taste in music/etc etc etc and back in my day when we wore onions in our belts we were all much better behaved. I kind of automatically discount anything along those lines. It mostly just means ‘speaker is over 40’. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-teenager-doesnt-know-how-to-cut-up-her-own-food/645146/123 "2012-12-27T18:24:55Z")
> [@CrazyCatLady](#): > > I haven’t either. What I _have_ seen plenty of over the years is kids who magically lose their abilities to do simple tasks when those tasks aren’t to their liking. +1 Clipped because this excellent post has been quoted a few times already. What the teen in the OP is doing is called “picking at her food.” A typical parental response is to snatch the food away and adjust it in some way, like cutting the meat, so the angry child has no excuse to continue picking at her food, which we all know she will continue to do anyway. The child in this case has achieved her goal of letting the world know how horribly she is suffering, having to eat dinner with her dad at some lame restaurant. Well played, unknown 13 Coins diner girl, well played. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-teenager-doesnt-know-how-to-cut-up-her-own-food/645146/124 "2012-12-27T18:31:29Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Welcome to a generation of children raised on pizza, chicken nuggets, burgers and fries. Yes, it’s real. You realize that McDonald’s has existed in its current form since the mid-60s right? And that Pizza Hut was a nationwide chain by 1970? This is not a generational problem unless you’re referring to the 16-year old’s _ **grandparents** _, who were the first generation to be raised on “pizza, chicken nuggets, burgers and fries.” ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-teenager-doesnt-know-how-to-cut-up-her-own-food/645146/125 "2012-12-27T18:54:51Z")
> [@shiftless](#): > > +1 Clipped because this excellent post has been quoted a few times already. > > What the teen in the OP is doing is called “picking at her food.” A typical parental response is to snatch the food away and adjust it in some way, like cutting the meat, so the angry child has no excuse to continue picking at her food, which we all know she will continue to do anyway. > > The child in this case has achieved her goal of letting the world know how horribly she is suffering, having to eat dinner with her dad at some lame restaurant. Well played, unknown 13 Coins diner girl, well played. Then why’d she make attempts to eat and then eat once her food was cut up for her? If she was just picking at it, dad cutting up the food would make her more obstinate (since he was obviously trying to get her to eat), don’t you think? ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-teenager-doesnt-know-how-to-cut-up-her-own-food/645146/126 "2012-12-27T19:03:56Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > You realize that McDonald’s has existed in its current form since the mid-60s right? And that Pizza Hut was a nationwide chain by 1970? This is not a generational problem unless you’re referring to the 16-year old’s _ **grandparents** _, who were the first generation to be raised on “pizza, chicken nuggets, burgers and fries.” Uhhhh, no. Yes, fast food existed back then. But it was an occasional treat. These days there is a sizable portion of the population that basically lives on that crap (and was raised that way). I take it you can see the difference. Or would you call the 60’s the computer generation? Because you know there were computers back then. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-teenager-doesnt-know-how-to-cut-up-her-own-food/645146/127 "2012-12-27T19:08:43Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Uhhhh, no. > > Yes, fast food existed back then. But it was an occasional treat. These days there is a sizable portion of the population that basically lives on that crap (and was raised that way). McDonald’s became a billion-dollar company in 1972. That’s a lot of “occasional treats.” While grandparent might be stretching it, this girl’s father clearly grew up as part of the fast food generation before she was ever born. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-teenager-doesnt-know-how-to-cut-up-her-own-food/645146/128 "2012-12-27T19:14:11Z")
> [@eclectic\_wench](#): > > And yeah, every generation thinks the next has crap table manners/is too picky/has crap taste in music/etc etc etc and back in my day when we wore onions in our belts we were all much better behaved. I kind of automatically discount anything along those lines. It mostly just means ‘speaker is over 40’. And we walked to school through 4 feet of snow, uphill, both ways and we were grateful!! And we wore onions **on** our belts, not **in** them. Now get off my lawn!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-teenager-doesnt-know-how-to-cut-up-her-own-food/645146/129 "2012-12-27T19:14:14Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Then why’d she make attempts to eat and then eat once her food was cut up for her? If she was just picking at it, dad cutting up the food would make her more obstinate (since he was obviously trying to get her to eat), don’t you think? I’ve studied quantum physics but would never make any claim to understand the actions of a teenaged girl. I have observed picking at food in action many times, so I know it exists and I know it makes parents crazy. How or why it makes us crazy is not understood but kids can sense it, like a dog can smell fear, and they use it. Once the parent is crazy the child can go ahead and eat dinner, content in a job well done. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-teenager-doesnt-know-how-to-cut-up-her-own-food/645146/130 "2012-12-27T19:15:20Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > McDonald’s became a billion-dollar company in 1972. That’s a lot of “occasional treats.” While grandparent might be stretching it, this girl’s father clearly grew up as part of the fast food generation before she was ever born. Dig up some fast food stats then. Tell us the total sales of all fast food for the past few decades on a year by year basis. Lets assume Dad is 45 give or take. That means he was raised in the mid 60’s to mid 80’s. His daughter was raised in the late 90’s till now. You are seriously claiming the population size of kids basically being raised on fast food is the same in the first time period as the later one? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-teenager-doesnt-know-how-to-cut-up-her-own-food/645146/131 "2012-12-27T19:17:42Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > I didn’t identify the child or parent. I was commenting on a general observation that kids in our fast food society are not taught table manners. This child, to my eye, exemplified that observation. You have not provided to me adequate evidence that table manners beyond the basic chew with your mouth closed and keep your elbows off the table are widely required by society at large, that kids lack these manners or that her behavior was indicative of anything. I do see someone who is quick to extrapolate from one 45 minute observational session, a whole host of attitudes and issues for all kids all the time. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-teenager-doesnt-know-how-to-cut-up-her-own-food/645146/132 "2012-12-27T19:19:25Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Dig up some fast food stats then. Tell us the total sales of all fast food for the past few decades on a year by year basis. Lets assume Dad is 45 give or take. That means he was raised in the mid 60’s to mid 80’s. His daughter was raised in the late 90’s till now. > > You are seriously claiming the population size of kids basically being raised on fast food is the same in the first time period as the later one? The real question is ‘is the difference significant enough to change eating habits and ability to use silverware’. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-teenager-doesnt-know-how-to-cut-up-her-own-food/645146/133 "2012-12-27T19:21:10Z")
I would be really curious to see how the growth of fast food consumption compares to the growth of the population of the US. ---
**Author:** ![Troppus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@Troppus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troppus)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-teenager-doesnt-know-how-to-cut-up-her-own-food/645146/134 "2012-12-27T19:23:47Z")
Why does this thread have so many Dopers in a Snit? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-teenager-doesnt-know-how-to-cut-up-her-own-food/645146/135 "2012-12-27T19:32:21Z")
Cheap, reliable and gives you the option to transfer to a Huff if you want to leave. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-teenager-doesnt-know-how-to-cut-up-her-own-food/645146/136 "2012-12-27T19:34:43Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Never heard an example of fussy eating in my generation. You ate what was on the table or you were sent to bed hungry. I don’t know what generation are you, but I’m a 1968 vintage and my class included a girl whose period didn’t arrive until her mother took her to the doctor, who prescribed steaks. The mother was so hell-bent on having elegant, thin daughters, that she was purposefully underfeeding them. Then there was that boy whose parents forced him to eat what was on the plate until he had his first anaphilactic shock from a food allergy; yours truly once did not eat for two days, and thanks to school lunchrooms’ penchant for having the cheapest “meat” got sent to detention all three times I ate at school between 4th and 8th grade :smack: (“Dr I. said I did _not_ have to eat liver. I am _not_ eating liver.”); Littlebro ('76 vintage) is one of those people for whom is just fuel, and a probable supertaster - at age 3, seeing the waiter bring out paella, he told him “mine without all that shit”… ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-teenager-doesnt-know-how-to-cut-up-her-own-food/645146/137 "2012-12-27T19:38:56Z")
> [@hrhomer](#): > > Perhaps she was baffled by the utensils, being used to her traditional Cameroonian _Ubambhale_ stick. Step off, **hrhomer**. Much like inept attempts at scooping mashed potatoes, these types of out-of-the-blue swipes at other posters are not welcome here. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-teenager-doesnt-know-how-to-cut-up-her-own-food/645146/138 "2012-12-27T19:58:58Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > You are seriously claiming the population size of kids basically being raised on fast food is the same in the first time period as the later one? I never said “the same,” I said fast food was pretty ubiquitous throughout the father’s generation. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-teenager-doesnt-know-how-to-cut-up-her-own-food/645146/139 "2012-12-27T20:02:25Z")
So there is no point to your point? ---
**Author:** ![Troppus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@Troppus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troppus)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-teenager-doesnt-know-how-to-cut-up-her-own-food/645146/140 "2012-12-27T20:07:32Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Cheap, reliable and gives you the option to transfer to a Huff if you want to leave. Nice one. 😃 I’ll see myself out. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-teenager-doesnt-know-how-to-cut-up-her-own-food/645146.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-teenager-doesnt-know-how-to-cut-up-her-own-food/645146.md?page=8)