Why don't they just finish it?

[Lorenzo]

I don't know if it's only my kids or most of the kids in general do this. My kids have this habit of leaving one or two bites of food during meal times. I've been constantly telling them to finish ALL of their food because not everyone in the world are as lucky as them to have a full meal every single day. A few days they remember what I said, but the next days, they are at it again. It is just so frustrating.

 

[youngone]

I have taught my son to 'eat what he is given' and he usually eats all of his dinner. If there is any leftover I will put it in the fridge and he can eat it the next day. I think it's important to not waste food.

 

[BigPapa]

Actually making them clear their plates like that can set them up for obesity later in life. Kids know when they are full so forcing them to eat more than they want or need isn't a good thing. If my daughter doesn't finish her dinner then we save it in the fridge if there is enough and if not the scraps go to the dog.

 

[Victor]

I agree with BigPapa. "Clean your plate" is a terrible habit to teach people, because then they ignore their own body's signals that they are full. We just try to serve food in appropriate serving sizes (and I'm not sure they aren't still too big) and get them more if they are still hungry. If not, the food is saved until bedtime and then goes in the trash.

 

[tommymac]

I don't know if it's only my kids or most of the kids in general do this. My kids have this habit of leaving one or two bites of food during meal times. I've been constantly telling them to finish ALL of their food

This is almost certainly a control issue. I'd say that this isn't a battle you need to fight. If they're full, they're full. Forcing them to eat more than they're willing does more harm than good.

 

[ghanashyam]

As before serving itself, I ask them how much they will eat? I know their take and would limit the service after third service, making it clear that he must have full stomach and he will get enough tomorrow, there would enough food for everybody tomorrow.

 

[meowcow]

My parent's used to make me do this as well, and it became a habit and made me a bit fat. I was able to lose it eventually, but it took some time for me to figure it out that I learned to force myself to eat that eventually the limits just disappeared. I'm not saying it is the same situation as yours, or that it will turn out to be, but maybe try to find out the issue behind it first, if they are just getting full or they are just not that into eating, before you enforce the rule. There is always a healthy compromise, which in this case, I guess could be just to have them take what food they think they can finish then make them finish it if even then they don't. Sometimes we just have to tweak the ways of the past a bit, because even those are not perfect. This is just my personal experience and I hope it helps.

 

[erin]

I don't know if it's only my kids or most of the kids in general do this. My kids have this habit of leaving one or two bites of food during meal times. I've been constantly telling them to finish ALL of their food because not everyone in the world are as lucky as them to have a full meal every single day. A few days they remember what I said, but the next days, they are at it again. It is just so frustrating.

I think it might be a small way of exerting their independence. "You gave me this but I'm only going to eat this." They probably don't realize that's why they're doing it.

 

[Don]

I was forced eat everything on my plate whether I liked it or not. I remember sitting at the table for an hour or more afterwards because I didn't want to eat something on my plate and my parents wouldn't let me leave the table. If my kids don't finish that is fine with me, but they can't turn right around and ask for dessert if they left a lot on their plate.

 

[tommymac]

As before serving itself, I ask them how much they will eat?

Why are you even bothering to ask? Why is it such a big deal? Let's say the child requests a second helping and finishes only half of it. Is the unfinished now contaminated to the point where you can't add it to the rest of the leftovers? Is it such a significant amount that you see it as an egregious amount of waste?

I really think you're creating a conflict where there shouldn't be any. If you're that concerned with your kids wasting food, give them smaller portions when they ask for seconds.

 

[Foster]

I encourage my son to eat everything that is on his plate, if he doesn't he doesn't sometimes people not just children can't finish what they are given. The biggest problem I have with my eldest is the amount of time it takes him to eat.

 

[Bear]

Encouraging your child to finish everything on their plate is a horrible idea. This country is entirely too fat as it is. In our house everyone's portions are small not just the kids. You can always come back for more if you want it.

 

[Bryant]

There are weight issues on both sides of the family so we have never been advocates of cleaning your plate. If you are full you are full. You are doing your children a disservice if you are teaching them to continue eating just because there is still food on the plate.

 

[roncar]

My wife and I were raised in the clean-your-plate club and we now both struggle with our wieght. But when I met my wife when her girls were young, she told me that she told them to only eat until they were satisfied, not full. They would have to wrap up their food for later though. They are both adults not and at a good weight for their height. I think if everyone did this, there would be much less risk of getting fat.

 

[tommymac]

I still say that forcing one to join "the clean plate club" every meal is a huge detriment. Pick your battles. When it comes to forcing a child to eat something he/she is determined not to eat, you're going to lose.

 

[taskeinc]

As long as my kids finished most of their meal, I'd always let it go. I remember when I was a kid my mom found out the hard way that I did not like squash (and still don't, fried zucchini, yes, but not reg. squash).

She told me, "you are not getting up from the table until you eat that squash." It would make me gag, I despised it so much. I sat there, and sat there, for at least a couple of hours. Finally, she took my plate and told me to go to my room. I was not going to eat that squash, even if I had to sit there all night!