# Parents, do me a favor, quit raising your kids so damn picky! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 15, 2010, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-do-me-a-favor-quit-raising-your-kids-so-damn-picky/550347 "2010-08-15T19:04:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-do-me-a-favor-quit-raising-your-kids-so-damn-picky/550347/61 "2010-08-16T14:07:53Z")
I was a fairly picky eater for years. I spent the first four years of my life in India, eating delicious spicy foods, so I don’t think it’s a truism at all that kids like bland foods…they like what they are used to. When I came to the States my adoptive mom cooked much blander, plainer food, much less often (leftovers a lot of nights) and I seriously almost stopped eating. I was scrawny thin for years and years and years, until I was eleven or so. I was allowed to take candy and stuff to lunch in the desperate hope I would eat _something_. Around age 11, suddenly I started eating normally. But in all of this time I was taught to be polite and respectful of other people and not say “eww” or “yucky”. That is all I am asking. The polite picky people, you don’t even notice them, because they are polite about it. It’s the people that make a huge fuss and deliberately ruin everyone else’s meal that we are objecting to. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-do-me-a-favor-quit-raising-your-kids-so-damn-picky/550347/62 "2010-08-16T14:16:49Z")
Qadgop… that’s really interesting, and I think appropriate, to call picky eating an eating disorder. I hadn’t thought about it that way before. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-do-me-a-favor-quit-raising-your-kids-so-damn-picky/550347/63 "2010-08-16T14:37:40Z")
When I was a kid, the rule was, “If you complain about a food, you get a double helping.” Therefore, we smiled like loons and said, “Oh boy, sweet potato casserole! My favorite!” as we ladled out the one small obligatory spoonful. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-do-me-a-favor-quit-raising-your-kids-so-damn-picky/550347/64 "2010-08-16T14:46:30Z")
> [@Rushgeekgirl](#): > > > [@In\_Winnipeg](#): > > > > I don’t get it. When I was a kid, there was none of this pickey eating crap. You ate everything on your plate, even the stuff you didn’t like. Sure, you may have been given a smaller portion of the stuff you hated, but you were expected to eat some of it, anyway. > > > > Reason was you never knew what someone may cook if they asked you to stay to dinner, and you didn’t want to look ungracious. Go figure. > > How far back was that? Back when parents weren’t afraid to be parents instead of trying to be the kids’ best friends instead. And as far as obesity epidemics, that started when women quit cooking at home, and in their laziness, decided that it was easier to take the kids to McDonald’s once or twice a week instead. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-do-me-a-favor-quit-raising-your-kids-so-damn-picky/550347/65 "2010-08-16T14:48:20Z")
> [@In\_Winnipeg](#): > > And as far as obesity epidemics, that started when women quit cooking at home, and in their laziness, decided that it was easier to take the kids to McDonald’s once or twice a week instead. Mm, OK. That’s…really interesting. I actually appreciate that you shared this little nugget (ha!) with us, as it lets me know how much worth I should assign your opinions. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-do-me-a-favor-quit-raising-your-kids-so-damn-picky/550347/66 "2010-08-16T15:08:16Z")
[Seven Silly Eaters](http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Silly-Eaters-Mary-Hoberman/dp/0152024409/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1281971007&sr=8-1) ---
**Author:** ![JuliaSqueezer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/82dd89/32.png) [@JuliaSqueezer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JuliaSqueezer)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-do-me-a-favor-quit-raising-your-kids-so-damn-picky/550347/67 "2010-08-16T15:10:21Z")
[QUOTE=In Winnipeg;12805938 And as far as obesity epidemics, that started when women quit cooking at home, and in their laziness, decided that it was easier to take the kids to McDonald’s once or twice a week instead.[/QUOTE] Yes. It’s sad that men are genetically incapable of lifting a pan, chopping vegetables and turning on a stove. Poor useless things. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-do-me-a-favor-quit-raising-your-kids-so-damn-picky/550347/68 "2010-08-16T15:10:47Z")
I always got the sense that there are very few picky eaters like **DoperChic** ’s cousin in places like Calcutta or Sierra Leone. A week or so in a place like that might be enlightening to people of her ilk. There’s a difference between “I don’t like broccoli” and “I only eat white or fried foods.” There’s a difference between “No, thank you” and “Ewww! Who eats _that_?!?” There’s a difference between “Try two bites” and “You have to sit there until you clean your plate.” ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-do-me-a-favor-quit-raising-your-kids-so-damn-picky/550347/69 "2010-08-16T15:15:17Z")
> [@JuliaSqueezer](#): > > [QUOTE=In Winnipeg;12805938 > And as far as obesity epidemics, that started when women quit cooking at home, and in their laziness, decided that it was easier to take the kids to McDonald’s once or twice a week instead.[/QUOTE] > > Yes. It’s sad that men are genetically incapable of lifting a pan, chopping vegetables and turning on a stove. Poor useless things. Or doing any kind of nutritious shopping of their own. America is a big fat lard ass because women work. Well…instead of blaming the working mom, like the commentator does, why not blame the Men for not bringing in more money. Yeaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-do-me-a-favor-quit-raising-your-kids-so-damn-picky/550347/70 "2010-08-16T15:20:47Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > When I was a kid, the rule was, “If you complain about a food, you get a double helping.” Therefore, we smiled like loons and said, “Oh boy, sweet potato casserole! My favorite!” as we ladled out the one small obligatory spoonful. Heh. I was lucky to be the youngest of five. With my three oldest sisters, Mom had the “You must eat everything on your plate” rule. One night, there were lima beans with dinner. One of my sisters told my Mom “If I eat these, it will make me sick”, but she was forced to eat them. Immediately after dinner, she climbed up on our Dad’s lap, and promptly puked all over him! 😛 Thus ended the “you must clean your plate” rule. ---
**Author:** ![RedWood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f08c70/32.png) [@RedWood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedWood)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-do-me-a-favor-quit-raising-your-kids-so-damn-picky/550347/71 "2010-08-16T15:29:37Z")
I don’t have kids so I shall share my growing-up experience. We had two rules once we were big enough to serve ourselves: 1. you MUST eat everything you yourself put on your plate 2. it’s permitted to put only One Bite on your plate if you are not sure. impolite comments of any kind were not allowed 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-do-me-a-favor-quit-raising-your-kids-so-damn-picky/550347/72 "2010-08-16T15:41:35Z")
[quote=“Shirley\_Ujest, post:69, topic:550347”] > [@JuliaSqueezer](#): > > Well…instead of blaming the working mom, like the commentator does, why not blame the Men for not bringing in more money. Yeaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh He would be, if there weren’t so many women in the workplaces where formerly there were none. Bring women in, though, through affirmative action, and the wage scale drops. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-do-me-a-favor-quit-raising-your-kids-so-damn-picky/550347/73 "2010-08-16T15:52:26Z")
I am _so_ looking forward to your future adventures here. ---
**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-do-me-a-favor-quit-raising-your-kids-so-damn-picky/550347/74 "2010-08-16T16:06:27Z")
Interesting points of view **In Winnipeg**. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-do-me-a-favor-quit-raising-your-kids-so-damn-picky/550347/75 "2010-08-16T16:25:29Z")
**In Winnipeg** , are you whooshing us? If it’s not, how would you suggest that this issue be, ah, corrected? Perhaps during WWII, I think it was when women worked outside the home in male-dominated fields like manufacturing for the first time, we should instead of have stayed in the kitchen because it was “laziness” to try to make money for the household, help the country _and_ cook and clean? And perhaps we’re lazy now because we not only hold down careers, contribute to our households and _still_ cook, clean and do most of the childcare? I really don’t understand your line of thinking. And since the workplace is now so reliant on women, what do you think would happen if more than 50 percent of the workforce suddenly withdrew to the kitchen? ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-do-me-a-favor-quit-raising-your-kids-so-damn-picky/550347/76 "2010-08-16T16:38:41Z")
As Mrs Cleaver used to say “Now Beaver if they serve you something you don’t like you just eat it anyway.” That’s the difference. I doubt kids are really any pickier today, but when I was a kid, if we went out, we didn’t dare raise a fuss and certainly we never would’ve had the nerve not to eat what was set out in front of us when dining out or at a neighbor’s home ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-do-me-a-favor-quit-raising-your-kids-so-damn-picky/550347/77 "2010-08-16T16:44:40Z")
> [@In\_Winnipeg](#): > > > [@Rushgeekgirl](#): > > > > How far back was that? > > Back when parents weren’t afraid to be parents instead of trying to be the kids’ best friends instead. > > And as far as obesity epidemics, that started when women quit cooking at home, and in their laziness, decided that it was easier to take the kids to McDonald’s once or twice a week instead. Wow. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-do-me-a-favor-quit-raising-your-kids-so-damn-picky/550347/78 "2010-08-16T16:59:11Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > I always got the sense that there are very few picky eaters like **DoperChic** ’s cousin in places like Calcutta or Sierra Leone. A week or so in a place like that might be enlightening to people of her ilk. > > There’s a difference between “I don’t like broccoli” and “I only eat white or fried foods.” There’s a difference between “No, thank you” and “Ewww! Who eats _that_?!?” There’s a difference between “Try two bites” and “You have to sit there until you clean your plate.” _applaud_ ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-do-me-a-favor-quit-raising-your-kids-so-damn-picky/550347/79 "2010-08-16T17:08:19Z")
OOH now this IS a train-wreck! Do we shut the thread or let it burn? ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-do-me-a-favor-quit-raising-your-kids-so-damn-picky/550347/80 "2010-08-16T17:15:32Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > Immediately after dinner, she climbed up on our Dad’s lap, and promptly puked all over him! I hope Dad’s meal was free. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-do-me-a-favor-quit-raising-your-kids-so-damn-picky/550347.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-do-me-a-favor-quit-raising-your-kids-so-damn-picky/550347.md?page=5)