Breakfast

[captain_slinky]

This morning I got Molly up extra-early so she wouldn't be so sleepy for breakfast. I gave her a plate that included cheese, sliced apples, grapes, toast with broiled cheese-flavored sandwich slice melted on it and her vitamins (which I sometimes forget to give her in the morning and wait till the afternoon for). A wide variety of things I know she likes so that she'll eat SOMETHING and maybe have a better day today :)

HOWEVER, I'm torn about "Making" her eat breakfast because of my own learned behavior of "Clean Plate" syndrome. My parents always made me finish everything on my plate before I was allowed to go play or do anything and, as a result, I can't NOT eat everything on my plate no matter how full I am. That's ma HUGE part of my own weight problems and I don't want to pass that on to Molly.

I tend to over-think lots of stuff...

Comments

[khristle.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't make her "clean her plate" but I would strongly encorage her to eat something. I'd even so as far as telling her that she HAS to eat a little bit.

[xerhino.livejournal.com]

I agree. Breakfast == better performance at both physical and mental tasks. It's important to start school with some amount of nourishment. I'd just ask her to eat some amount, whatever feels right, and make sure it's healthy, which you've already done.

[sasjhwa.livejournal.com]

Teaching her how important it is to eat healthy is just as important as not worrying about cleaning her plate. Breakfast is super important for kids.

The best way to teach her about cleaning her plate is to say "I've put a bunch of food on this big plate here. Put one or two things on your plate and when you are full you don't have to eat any more." When she is old enough to understand (I don't know if she is yet) you can talk to her about why you are concerned about it based on your own experience.

Of course the VERY best way to teach her to clean her plate is to make her do the dishes! Only a few more years! Why we all secretly had kids!

[khristle.livejournal.com]

I make her help unload the dishwasher. I long for the day I can make her load it too :)

[lynna12000.livejournal.com]

Encouraging a child to eat a healthy breakfast is NOT a bad thing. And giving her a choice makes her feel like she has a say in what she eats.

Breakfast is the one meal that should not be skipped.

[hallerlake.livejournal.com]

Our general rule on that sort of thing is "you have to try everything" which can then be turned into "you need three bites of everything" and Sneaky Daddy Planning sometimes yields "you have to have a couple bites of each of these five things".

Usually it's not a problem though.