Kids! It is a touchy subject... kids and food. No one likes to be told what to do, how to raise their kids but everybody needs help. Food and sleep are often the most difficult challanges when raising young ones. I have no answers but I can share my thoughts and experiences.
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| picking berries a grandpa's house |
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| plate licking good |
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| "hmmm looks healthy" |
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| spagehtti bolognese, every kids favorite |
I am a man of many empty threats (not advised) but when it comes to food it's "eat or get out". Today my kids are 1.5 and 3.5 and they eat everything. My oldest is going through a phase... " I don't eat..." this or that phase but in the end it's always the same with me "eat whats on the table or go hungry". I make one dinner a night, if you are hungry you will eat it. It may sound hard core and I would never force my kids to eat anything, my thought is "if you don't like it don't eat it".
At around 9 months old boths our kids ate "real" food. Before that it was mashed fruits and veggies and/or breast milk. All fresh fruits and veggies, no bottled or premade baby foods. I think that when it comes to food and kids the sooner the better and show no fear. Also, as with everything with kids if you give in and make pancakes or pasta and meatballs for dinner just because they don't want fish then you are screwed for life. Kids remember... and from then on it is a two dinner household.
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| fork in hand |
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| our biggest meat eater waiting patiently |
Let a kid be a kid? Absolutely, but a kid is a kid. I don't think that you need to introduce candy, they'll ask when they are ready and even then it can be put off a bit... does 2 year old really need candy? Tilda, my 3.5 year old has had candy maybe five or six times total and then it has been because others have given it to her at birthday parties. But, don't get me wrong... our kids get plenty of sweets. During the summer they get ice cream almost everyday and then there is Swedish fika which is hard to avoid... cookies, pastries, etc. Now during the winter when most people have Saturday cany we have Saturday ice cream.
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| Saturday ice cream |
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| Fall picnic |
As I cook every night and often throughout the day on weekends it is a big part of our life. We spend a lot of time in the kitchen and my kids help (or think they do) when I cook. I think it is important to keep them involved. I tell them where things come from and even when we go to the country I try to explain that the lamb they see in the field is the same kind of animal we eat for dinner.
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| helping mix pancakes |
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| baking bread |
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| making oatmeal cookies |
We bake bread, make cookies, stews, pasta, fry fish and chicken. We pickle vegetables and fruits. We try to grow our own herbs on our balcony. We do everything together. I think it is important even at an early age that my kids understand that ketchup is made from tomatos and we can make that. Cereal is made from wheat and we can make that and so on.
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| perfect snack |
Everyone has their own way of doing things, their own way of raising their kids. I know I don't do a lot of things right when raising my kids but when it comes to food I try my hardest to do what I feel is good for them both nutritionally while also making it fun to eat and learn about food.
These are my Sunday thoughts... got any of your own?
Tony!
ReplyDeleteI love your Sunday Thoughts!!! it was great writing and pics..
Thank Thank you...
Tony, i miss your cooking and your important lessons in the kitchen. You are an AMAZING CHEF!!! I'm following you all the way here in China!
ReplyDeleteRe: Your post on kids and food is spot on...you are a great father. Your children will grow up healthy and strong because of you and T (I'll keep your wife's name anonymous online).
Keep the posts coming. Your kids looks adorable!
Tony, I really admire you and your patience together with you children when it comes to cooking, although you spend so much time at your job doing the same ting!
ReplyDeleteLucky Tilda amd Quincy!
But I must tell you that my oldest son, now 36, was very often ill as a child. He didn´t like to eat at all, so for many years it was porridge, pasta, meatballs, pancakes, blodpudding and fried fish (fiskpinnar).
Now, as a grown up, he is a healthe young man and he eats everyting but mushrooms, is a very good chef at home (he cooks all food, his wife bakes), and he´s became a real gourmé.
But I´d whished both my boys had eaten everything from the start. Cooking had neen so much easier!
I like your blog very much, but I´ll hope to see you all soon.
Hi again!
ReplyDeletefor more then one hour I´v rtried to get my comment published. Now I remember: One has to press Preview first, then Post!! Lena B
@George
ReplyDeleteThank you. I remember when you were doing staff food at GW, that was great. I remember when you did some kind of meatloaf with ground pork and something else, it was very good! Hope you are doing well in China and that we will meet again one day. Come to Sweden and I'll cook for you.