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> We force him to try everything we put on his plate. As long as a child is receiving adequate nutrition, is it necessary to force him to expand his culinary h

> We force him to try everything we put on his plate. As long as a child is receiving adequate nutrition, is it necessary to force him to expand his culinary horizons? Natural curiosity tends to balance out temporary fixation in the absence of such abnormal thinking that might arise from feeling a lack of control. > If we gave him autonomy, he’d choose candy and soda. Whether or not this is the case, there's a difference between allowing choice and allowing all choices, and there's a difference between imposing quality and imposing quantity. But, I don't think the stereotype of a kid binging on junk-food without boundary is accurate outside families that build such foods into a rare, prized(!) and denied commodity. It's just unfortunate that that attitude is so pervasive.

sturgill 8y ago
> [I]s it necessary to force him to expand his culinary horizons? I don’t know. I don’t think anyone knows. But I’m guessing yes. There’s a natural internal conflict between curiosity and the comfort of routine. Every person (and thus every child) has a different predisposition in this spectrum. There are some kids you can probably get away with letting curiosity win. Our 5 y/o does not appear to me to be that kind of person. I expect he’d be very happy to live in our basement into his 30’s. Or maybe 50’s. Every kid is different. > I don't think the stereotype of a kid binging on junk-food without boundary is accurate outside families that build such foods into a rare, prized(!) and denied commodity. I thought this once but no longer do. Every kid is different, but our youngest is very happy to be “full” at dinner (i.e., “I don’t like that food”) and want snacks in 20 min. To which I present him his dinner plate.