Family Ties: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

[Ancaster]

1 hour ago, Browncoat said:

Nope.  My mother made one meal, and that's what we ate.  Although, I will say when she made spaghetti, I only ate the noodles.  But no special food was made.

I remember in our family each kid had one thing they didn't like, in which case they picked it out, otherwise we ate what was given us on the plate handed to us (mushrooms in one case, fried eggs another).  My parents were born in the 1930s to already frugal parents, which probably had a lot to do with how meals went*.

* Anyone else out there with Yorkshire-folk for ancestors?  😄

Edited 15 hours ago by Ancaster

[Bastet]

My mom didn't make different meals, I ate what she cooked or, once old enough, made myself something else.  But she didn't force me to eat things I hated, I'd just eat the other stuff.  And if she made a main dish I hated, she made one of my favorite sides with it and vice versa.  That was easy for her to do, though, because there wasn't a ton of stuff I hated or even disliked -- if in any given month's worth of meals there are only a few times where the kid skips part of it and isn't eating the world's most balanced meal by skipping that part, it's no big deal.

[Browncoat]

13 minutes ago, Ancaster said:

I remember in our family each kid had one thing they didn't like, in which case they picked it out, otherwise we ate what was given us on the plate handed to us (mushrooms in one case, fried eggs another).  My parents were born in the 1930s to already frugal parents, which probably had a lot to do with how meals went*.

* Anyone else out there with Yorkshire-folk for ancestors?  😄

Frugal Scots-Irish ancestors, and my parents grew up during the Depression.  They also ate whatever was on their plates.

If any of us had had food allergies or other medical issues, it would have been different, of course, but still, Mom would have cooked one meal for everyone.  When one of my siblings became vegetarian, she adjusted her recipes (which were all in her head, nothing written down) to eliminate meat products, but still made essentially the same food.  For example, instead of cooking eggs in the leftover bacon grease, she'd use butter or vegetable oil and a different pan. 

 

[Dimity]

I think growing up in a big family discourages being too fussy.  If anything we ate fast so we'd be the one who got the last pork chop.  This is not a child rearing technique that I would recommend however!

I always used to see shows or read a book where some poor kid was expected to sit at the table until they finished their meal even if it took all night.  I remember one book where the offensive meal was saved and served up every day until the poor kid finally choked it down.

Anyone who actually had a parent who did this to them you have my sincerest sympathy.

[PRgal]

1 hour ago, Dimity said:

I think growing up in a big family discourages being too fussy.  If anything we ate fast so we'd be the one who got the last pork chop.  This is not a child rearing technique that I would recommend however!

I always used to see shows or read a book where some poor kid was expected to sit at the table until they finished their meal even if it took all night.  I remember one book where the offensive meal was saved and served up every day until the poor kid finally choked it down.

Anyone who actually had a parent who did this to them you have my sincerest sympathy.

Current philosophy is that forcing kids to complete a meal "even if it takes all night" will encourage disordered eating so it's not something we do.  My son has trouble expressing how he feels about things and is always eager to please.  I'm a bit worried about that (that it could lead to him getting into trouble/hanging out with the "wrong" crowd).

@SoMuchTV Cousin-nephew is easy, but when it comes to me being the cousin-aunt, my title will depend on the side of the family to the parent.  I'm one type of cousin-aunt to the cousin-nephew I saw yesterday, but another type to one of my female cousin's daughters.  And me being YOUNGER to said female cousin means I'm something different ANOTHER female cousin's kids because THIS cousin is younger than me.  It's TOTALLY COMPLICATED.

[Gramto6]

5 hours ago, Dimity said:

I always used to see shows or read a book where some poor kid was expected to sit at the table until they finished their meal even if it took all night.  I remember one book where the offensive meal was saved and served up every day until the poor kid finally choked it down.

Anyone who actually had a parent who did this to them you have my sincerest sympathy.

I had a mother like that.  We had to eat everything or sit there until the plate was emptied. I pretty much ate everything, but as a kid, I could not stand liver and it was a staple in our meal schedule. I guess it was a cheap meat source.  My little brother and I finally came up with a plan that was pretty gross but perfect for us! We would wait until we were left alone in the kitchen and then toss the offensive food under the refrigerator! To this day I wonder if the refrigerator was ever replaced and what the floor was like under it!  

 

[shapeshifter]

 

[PRgal]

15 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

 

This was one of my favourite books growing up.  I’ve read it to my son and asked him if he thought Frances was silly.  He said yes and said he ate lots of different things (yep, just not that much protein.  Still hesitant to give him kid protein drinks since they’re usually loaded with sugar). 

[Mountainair]

9 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

I had a mother like that.  We had to eat everything or sit there until the plate was emptied. I pretty much ate everything, but as a kid, I could not stand liver and it was a staple in our meal schedule. I guess it was a cheap meat source.  My little brother and I finally came up with a plan that was pretty gross but perfect for us! We would wait until we were left alone in the kitchen and then toss the offensive food under the refrigerator! To this day I wonder if the refrigerator was ever replaced and what the floor was like under it!  

 

My grandmother is that way. She’s a terrible cook and while I am 40 now I have terrible memories of sitting at her table and being forced to eat slop. If my parents were there they would not make me but I often spent summers at her house without my parents. I eventually started feeding it to her dogs when she wasn’t looking. Her rule for adults was if there were leftovers they go in the dog bowl not the trash. 
A few years ago I visited her with my parents and my kids- my youngest was 3 at the time and we walk in her house and my 3 year old immediately says, “what’s that smell” and proceeded to throw up all over my dad who was holding her. Grandma was making a breakfast casserole and it smelled rancid. My mom went through her trash and found the sausage package she was using and it had expired three years prior. 
My grandma will be 90 in March but she is no longer allowed to cook when family visits and we all gather at a different family members house instead of hers.