The FRENCH RULES FOR FEEDING CHILDREN

[goldfish]

This was passed on from Lunchboxdoctor through QuirkyCooking's facebook page.

I just love this . . probably should be on Page 1 of every baby and child raising piece of advice!!

https://www.facebook.com/lunchboxdoctor?ref=stream

and I'll quote from the link for non-facebookers

The French Rules for Feeding Children include:

1. Not labelling your child as a fussy eater - the French maintain that taste is a skill that must be taught, like reading

2. Asking your children to try everything even when they don't like it - children need to taste a new food 7-12 times before they accept it


3. Introducing new foods to children before they actually taste them, allowing them to touch, smell and select foods for themselves - often "I don't like that food" means "I don't know it"

4. Talking less about health and more about good tastes - better to say "look, it's really yummy" than to point out how much iron it has in it

5. Sticking to a routine around meals and limit snacks to one or at most two per day

6. Don't eat the same dish more than once a week

7. Meals are times when children should have your undivided attention - misbehaviour at the table is often just attention seeking

8. Take your time when cooking and eating and don't serve overly large portions

Great article by Karen Le Billon, author of 'French Children Eat Everything'. See link in comments.

http://content.yudu.com/Library/A29crv/EducateringJuly2013/resources/16.htm   This link requires Adobe flashplayer


Have also just had a look at the author's blog/website - love it! http://karenlebillon.com/


And also just bought her book:  Look it up on   http://booko.com.au/9780749958510/French-Kids-Eat-Everything for best deal

[obbie]

sounds good, if the kids will do that.

I'll keep trying.

[mcmich]

Fantastic!! I love rule No. 3. 

[goldfish]

Robyn, it also mentioned that it's a little like a child learning to read . .  it's a process that happens over time - an ongoing learning curve rather than a "one off" type of thing.  Young children have "absorbent" minds - they soak up and learn most from what's going on around them, whether it be learning to talk (language), learning to read, etc., I  think, with gentle guidance rather than trying to "drum" something into them - if that makes sense . .

[jo_nz]

Great stuff.

My food philosophy is that it's my job to provide a range of healthy and interesting foods, but their job to eat it.  DS used to be a "fussy eater" but that really took the stress out of it for me.  Not that he was fading away anyway.

[gertbysea]

I especially like rule number one.  Ok I am gunna say it.......in MY day there was no such thing as a fussy eater....I think us older mothers just used to re present food in another form perhaps until they chose it.  Some like it raw. Some  like it cooked. Some like foods mixed up with other foods. Some like certain colours  and of course the parents ate everything because there were no choices  post war and our parents experienced hardships  with very little food so any food was great food. 

I had a nephew who would eat olives only if they were at the bottom of his glass of milk. Go figure. I think we just didn't fuss about it. My kids loved weird combinations of food on their plate  and would try to outdo each other in weirdness.  Now my son is a vegan. One of  my grandkids won't eat fruit which I find irritating  but whatever.

I don't know why parents fuss so much about what their kids eat. It must cause a lot of stress because there is so much written about feeding them. My daughter would only eat mashed potatoes a one stage . Nothing else. Then she got sick of it  and went on to eat only green things so I started to put green food dye in everything just for fun.  Didn't last  long.

The rules I had were that all meals had to be eaten while seated at a table. They had to have table manners using knives, forks or spoons with  no elbows on the table , no waving their forks or knives in the air and no chewing with their mouths  open.  Look around a restaurant and see how many adults not to mention kids have table manners. Far more important to me to be socially adept than what they actually  eat.

A soap box moment from
Gert

[astarra]

Haha - I love it, goldfish! 
Actually so true, too.

Also have to agree with Gert on the table manners bit 

[jo_nz]

The rules I had were that all meals had to be eaten while seated at a table.

Oh, goodness me, yes!  We have friends who literally pop bites of dinner into their kid's mouth while she continues to play.  Drives me batty.  But they are worried she'll go to bed hungry and wake up in the night, so continue with it. 

The cutlery thing is very much a work in progress around here!!    I think DD (3) is better that DS (6). 

[gertbysea]

Table manners are a life long project  Jo .  I sometimes say to DH " if I have to watch you put that much into your mouth I will vomit " even old men get lazy about cutting their food into smaller portions.

Next time you are in a restaurant just look around.  Eating etiquette had gone out the window.

Gert

[obbie]

I agree Gert, At least our kids do have some table manners.


Love the green food dye trick.

[CreamPuff63]

Next time you are in a restaurant just look around.  Eating etiquette had gone out the window.

I was just going to say that too. It's amazing how many people actually don't know how to hold a knife and fork properly. Was that because they are not used to sitting at a table, or they have never been taught at the table?

Another thing also is not to make your kids a separate meal.

[cookie1]

I love the rules. Gert I agree with you too. My parents were very strict about the no elbows on the table. When I do it now I always think of them.
DD went through a stage of only eating peanut butter and bread. I was worried until the clinic sister pointed out to me that she wouldn't die and don't stress.  I still think she enjoyed playing with her food more than eating it or stealing it and eating it raw from the pot of uncooked veggies. But, she is all grown up and a bit of a foodie ( blame the tmx) so I did something right.

[cookie1]

Next time you are in a restaurant just look around.  Eating etiquette had gone out the window.

I was just going to say that too. It's amazing how many people actually don't know how to hold a knife and fork properly. Was that because they are not used to sitting at a table, or they have never been taught at the table?

Another thing also is not to make your kids a separate meal.

If you watch Masterchef at all watch the 3 judges. I'm have seen 2 of them lick their knives in the last week. 

[Wonder]

Gert I totally agree with most of what you say. My kids have good table manners most of the time but it's still a work in progress with DS.

The best piece of advice I ever got on feeding my kids was from a top peadatrician at 3am one morning after 2 days of no sleep in the Royal Children's hospital with DD whose body had all but shut down to fit an infection they couldn't find. He said to me that there has been no case ever documentated of a child voluntarily starving itself to death, provide good healthy food, limit snacks and try not to fuss if they decide they will only eat one type of food for a little while - they will get over it and move on to the next thing but continue to offer differnent types of food as often as possible. Most importantly don't force feed and make it very clear that they won't get any snacks if they aren't eating the food provided at meal times.

Over the years this has been very hard when they don't seem to be eating much, or don't like something I've spent a long time preparing but I keep reminding myself what that doctor said and would say they are reasonable to good eaters who both still have their moments but don't we all.

[gertbysea]

I was just going to say that too. It's amazing how many people actually don't know how to hold a knife and fork properly. Was that because they are not used to sitting at a table, or they have never been taught at the table?

Another thing also is not to make your kids a separate meal.
[/quote]

I think kids are allowed to walk around eating  as soon as they can walk. I also never fed my kids in a stroller. Oh wait I never even had a stroller.

[quote

Love the green food dye trick.
[/quote]

Green cheese sauce  was a winner over green spotted cauliflower.  Green homemade pasta with green veggies and green sauce.  We all ate it. We always had fun at meal time because in my childhood I had horrible meal times with my father being a tyrant.  It was the most stressful part of the day and was nothing to look forward to but I did learn manners. I am still scared when I find my elbow on the table or I am not sitting up straight  or putting down my knife and fork when I chew .  I have a quick look round and see if anybody was watching me.

Probably my father and grandmother looking up from hell!!

Gert