A self-confessed ‘crunchy mum’ has provoked an outcry after claiming parents enable their children to become finicky eaters.
The mum of one shared a video of her toddler happily consuming a meal, with the statement: ‘Opinion of the day: kids are not picky eaters from birth. Parents inadvertently help them become picky’.
The comment understandably raised the wrath of other parents, who called the mum out for parent shaming.
One mum responded that some children are born with sensory problems that stop them from consuming particular foods and that they’re not always fussy eaters.
Amber commented, “Tell me you only have one child without telling me you only have one child. My first made me feel like I was the best parent.”
Krissie Leanne responded that it was simply not true. That her son consumed all types at that age, and now he won’t touch certain things no matter how hard they try. He’s six now.
It prompted the mum to follow up with a video response, where she embellished her view.
She said that she wanted to explain that there was a distinction between fussy eaters and having likes and preferences. That she wasn’t talking about a child not liking squash and therefore they’re fussy and it was the parent’s fault. She said she was talking about the children that will only eat processed junk food because that’s what the parents feed them because it’s easier, but this explanation only generated more of a stir, with other mums claiming every child is different, and so are their preferences.
Some parents do everything right with their first child and yet they end up being the pickiest eaters, but that it’s easy to feel superior when everything is going right, but when children start to get some independence and want autonomy that’s when things can take a surprising turn.
However, it’s this mother’s view, but no one has to agree with it – every child is different. However, in this day and age, there are some fussy eaters that have been created, others have sensory disorders, and everyone needs to take a step back and let every parent do what they need to do with their child because it’s their child and nobody else’s.
Children can be extremely fickle, one day they can love something and then the next day they will gag at it.
I know that having food is better than not having any food, but I do tend to agree that most children won’t eat their veggies. I used to hide the veggies in with the mashed potato so that my children wouldn’t notice them, although kids aren’t stupid and to be honest it didn’t always work.
My youngest son who is Autistic was the worst because he has awful sensory problems even now and he’s a grown adult, but I still tried to get him to eat stuff if I could but would never force him because he’d generally be sick.
Processed foods aren’t the best things for our children, but more and more processed foods are on the market these days that sometimes we don’t have a choice particularly if we are on a tight budget, which at the moment we are.
Some children are generally good eaters, but then, later on, become finicky eaters. This mum clearly hasn’t had her child refuse food yet, but she will because as we get older our tastebuds change.
At the end of the day, every family is different. There are people that just feed their children quick meals but there are other people that don’t. Some eat well and some don’t, but we shouldn’t judge each other because what one person does might not work for another, and we just need to quit comparing, as long as we are doing the best that we can, that’s all that matters.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 