Old rule: “Kids should eat everything on their plate, even if they aren’t hungry.”
Reality: This was definitely a rule I grew up with, perhaps due to parents who were born at the end of the Depression and experienced food restrictions during World War II. When we force children to “clean their plates,” even after they’ve expressed that they’re full, it sets up a bad dynamic at the dinner table. If you find your child is filling up on sweets or snacks between meals to the point where they aren’t hungry for what’s on their dinner plate, this can certainly be adjusted in a gentle, constructive way. But forcing them to eat everything on their plate isn’t something that’s beneficial to your child. If you don’t want to see food go to waste, start out by giving your child smaller helpings or save uneaten food for a snack later on or a future meal.
