Your attitude about food is exactly what I want to teach my children when I have them. Job well done!

Elaine,
Thank you. I had to spin my head around 108 degrees from what I learned as a kid to find my food freedom. And, as is the case with so much of our best parenting, it is a mentality I still have a hard time internalizing for myself....

Dear pamela,

It's not that these people want to make your daughter fat, it's a matter of principle. You may not have realised this, but there are people who constantly struggle to put enough food on the table. To such people serving more than you eat and throwing the rest away is quite disrespectful. I'm sorry if I'm falsely assuming you are throwing the spare food away, but it's probably the message you send.

I hope this post was useful to you,

Martin

you have the perfect attitude being forced to clear huge platefuls and made to eat foods i didnt want meant i never knew when i was satisfyed hence why i turned to numbers

so yeh i understand why some people would call it wasteful but i can personally say its way better than letting food rule your life like it does mine

Martin,
Don't you think it is best to be healthy and not eat too much or too little? Perhaps the writer's family donates food to Soup Kitchens or the Homeless. I think it is unfair that is considered 'disrepectful' to not finish what is on your plate when served if you were served a bigger portion than you can stomach. It isn't healthy to eat more than you are comfortable with. It isn't an action out of disrespect, but rather, out of looking out for one's own health and longevity.
I think the writer knows people aren't trying to 'make her daughter fat', I believe she is just trying to teach her daughter healthy eating habits so that her daughter does not develop unhealthy eating habits [either overeating OR restricting]. I think the writer comes from a very good mindset. Cheers, writer!
Perhaps Leah's school could start a program in which any food not finished [which is still safe] can be donated to the hungry.

Hi Pamela -
Thank you very much for this post. I teach a course called Redirecting Children's Behavior in which parents are encouraged to teach their children to trust their "inner guidance system" and to to care for what is in their own best interest as well as to have empathy for others. Your thoughts on food fit so perfectly!

I will place a link to your post in the July 14th issue of Parenting News You Can Use, the weekly e-zine for the International Network for Children and Families. To subscribe and for more parenting resources, please visit http://WholeHeartedParenting.com.

Thanks again for your thoughtful article!
Maggie Macaulay, MS Ed

When we are babies we are born with an internal mechanism that tells us when we are hungry and when we are full- it's not until our parents begin to "teach" us how to eat that the problems arise. We don't need to be taught how to eat- children need to be taught smart choices and about nutrition but not how to eat- we know how to do this from birth.

If we simply used food for what it is intended- nourishing our bodies- we wouldn't have many of the conflicts and mixed messages we are struggling with at this time. We are constantly bombarded with mixed messages about food and self image. Many parents themselves use food as a stress reliever, reward, comfort, healing and entertainment- so how can we expect our children to develop a healthy relationship with food if they do not have a clear example?

Great article and great message!!!! Love it!!