Dinner at the Jordan house is usually a pleasant affair with occasional confrontation. But it used to be worse. It got to be so chaotic trying to please everybody, says Beth Jordan, a mother of three. Jordan says it changed when she decided to stop being a short order cook and laid down the law telling the kids they could eat what was offered and nothing more.
Experts say that kind of approach is the only way to get kids on the right track.
The parent has to decide what is offered and when it s offered and really has to leave it up to the child to decide whether they re going to eat and how much they re going to eat, says Dr. Howell Weschler with the Centers for Disease Control Prevention. Getting kids to try new, healthy foods can be a tricky affair. Allowing them limited, healthy choices can help. If kids are allowed some discretion like choosing between servings of fruit or vegetables, they may even stop battling and learn the benefits of a good diet. Turn off the TV during meals.