Sending kids to bed without dinner

[katie kaboom]

Now that I think about it, with the way I eat while at school (2 meals is a good day, 1 meal is average), missing out on dinner every so often is not a big deal at all.

Yeah, but you're an adult. Making a deliberate choice to skip a meal as an adult is one thing, but to deny it to a kid as a punishment is cruel. Plus since kids don't really think of a meal as a reward, it may not even do much to deter them from misbehaving. Take away something that's fun to them. Taking away dinner is not a healthy way to teach your kids to behave.

[guywithashovel]

It seems that most of the people who have responded have associated this with kids who don't want to eat what has been cooked for the meal. I was actually talking about using the missed dinner as a punishment. For example, it's dinnertime and the kid is acting up badly. Maybe he's running around, knocking chairs over, bothering the other kids, etc. The parent decides to send him straight to bed without his dinner.

My mom actually did have some battles with my sister and me over finicky attitudes towards food. I went through a faze where I was super picky about what I ate, and so did my sister. I can remember one time my mom made pasta for dinner, and she added some kind of herbs to the pasta. I'm not sure what it was, but there were tiny specs of green herbs on all of the strands of pasta. For that reason, I didn't want to eat it. My mom's spoken attitude was, "Eat what I cook, or don't eat at all." But I think that even on our really picky nights, we ended up eating at least something.

[Boozy]

Punishment by hunger is like punishment by spanking. It's corporal. I don't see any qualitative differences. So I would imagine that people who support spanking as punishment would support this as well.

[AFPheonix]

Like I said, it's one tool in the toolbox. If you have a kid that is food motivated and are having trouble getting him to alter his behavior any other way, this might be the answer. Not having food for 12 hours is hardly the epitome of cruelty.

[katie kaboom]

Not having food for 12 hours is hardly the epitome of cruelty.

No, but can you guarantee it won't promote bad eating habits in those kids later on in life? I just think there should be other ways to punish even the most stubborn kid.

[DesignFox]

My parents never used it is a form of punishment.

The only time I got denied dinner was when they would make something and I would refuse to eat it. If I didn't eat what was made, then I didn't eat at all.

That happened once that I can remember. Never did complain at dinner again...

And the rule about veggies was that I had to try them. If I tried them and still didn't like them, then we would move on to a different veggie. (but I had to eat them all the very first time- none of this "take one tiny bite and throw a hissy fit" stuff.

For instance, my parents never forced me to eat green beans again...I did what I was told and ate them, even though the first bite was horrible... then immediately puked them up all over the table...

[powerboy]

(but what kid wasn't?)

I like to eat veggies and fruits when I was a kid. Sending kids to bed without dinner is not cruel. It is like spanking. If that is an option they have, then by all means.

[guywithashovel]

I like to eat veggies and fruits when I was a kid.

So did I. In fact, once I got past my short-lived picky stage, I ended up liking a lot of foods that kids are often stereotyped as not liking. I liked broccoli, and still do. I liked spinach, and still do. I liked lima beans, and still do.

[AFPheonix]

No, but can you guarantee it won't promote bad eating habits in those kids later on in life? I just think there should be other ways to punish even the most stubborn kid.

Like what? Not eating late at night? Eating a large meal at breakfast?

I'm saying this is a tool in a large toolbox with many more tools in it. Obviously this is a pretty large hammer, and if you're having to pull it out often to get your point across, then you as a parent need to figure out a better method of positive/negative reinforcement. It should really only be used for pretty egregious errors on the kid's part.

[powerboy]

So did I. In fact, once I got past my short-lived picky stage, I ended up liking a lot of foods that kids are often stereotyped as not liking. I liked broccoli, and still do. I liked spinach, and still do. I liked lima beans, and still do.

Just like Liver and Onions, I always loved liver and onions. I need to make that again

[blas87]

To this day, I still hate vegetables and refuse to eat them. Except potatoes.

[Greenday]

To this day, I still hate vegetables and refuse to eat them. Except potatoes.

I'll eat raw carrots, green beans, corn, and potatoes. That's it. The rest is gross. My mom doesn't force me to eat other stuff because she doesn't hate broccoli and knows what it's like to be forced to eat it.

[kiwi]

I love vegetables, always have always will. As a kid I much preferred a big plate of brocolli, carrots, kumera and pumpkin to a chicken anything

I really struggle to eat protiens of most kinds... I do because you need protien to be healthy but yeesh I hate the texture of meat (get your mind out of the gutter)

[Flyndaran]

One thing to consider, though: Kids have far more sensitive tastebuds than adults. Parents sometimes forget that. Cooked vegetables such as peas, carrots, and broccoli have very strong flavours. Kids aren't reacting to how they taste so much as how strongly they taste.

Then I am backwards. I couldn't taste jack as a kid. I was all about textures. As an adult I can detect all sorts of subtle flavors.

[Flyndaran]

As a kid I could go for 2 days without eating, so that tactic wouldn't have worked on me.