'Moms Talk' Q & A: What Do You Do When Your Child Will Not Eat Something?

Each week the council will answer a question on parenthood posed to them by readers or another member of council.

This week, the Moms Council addresses the subject of what to do when a child doesn't want to eat what's in front of them.

A new addition to the Moms Council is Susan Jerome of Mayfield Heights. The mother of three writes a blog, Ohio's Children, and advocates for changing the law regarding the age of emancipation so children of divorce can still get financial support from the nonresidential parent until age 23 or graduation from college.

Here's what the moms have to say on this week's topic:

Susan Jerome: I think there is a difference between a picky eater and a child who just doesn't like the food being served. I have always been flexible with this because I, too, have foods that I just don't like. Why should a child be any different? When they were young, they had to try the food (sometimes amid much fuss); I even had them try the same food on several different nights because some foods are an acquired taste. If they still didn't like it, I wouldn't force the issue.
 
If you force a child to eat food they don't like it's no longer a question of the food but a control issue. Personally, I would rather focus my attention and energy on raising them to be people of sound judgment and good character rather than forcing them to eat food they don't like.
 
I have also noticed that, in my family, some of us prefer vegetables more than fruit and vice versa. Two of my children like fruits better than vegetables and the rest of us like vegetables more than fruit. It doesn't take much to serve both a fruit and a vegetable at dinner.
 
Therefore, when I cook and someone truly doesn't like it, I will allow them to have a sandwich instead. I won't make another meal for that child and they still eat the fruits and vegetables or salad, etc., being served with dinner, like the rest of us.
 
Surprisingly enough, some of the foods they didn't eat as children, they eat now as teenagers, with no prompting from me.

Kim Zannetti: We have the three bite rule.  When it is something brand new, we have to try at least three bites. I have an issue bribing with food, I think it leads to additional problems later on. I think if it is something that the child genuinely does not like, then concessions are fine. But I also joke with my children that this is not "Burger King" where everyone has their own way.

I've also found that letting the kids help to prepare food with you helps increase their curiousity and makes them willing to "try" something they have helped to prepare.