Lying about food

becasmeca · February 2013

Years ago I told my nephews the calamari was a cheese stick. My H pointed out that we will always tell Bo the correct food so he does not gain any weird complexes about what he is and is not eating.

While I do agree with my H, and have always told Bo exactly what he is eating...I had a bit of a snafu yesterday! I told Bo his beet rice cake was a cookie! Whoops!

The "lie" about food just came out!

What are your thoughts? Should you lie to your kids to get them to eat it? Or is honesty best at all times?

**I know at this stage it does not *really* matter as long as we are communicating with our LOs...but I know Bo understands way more than he can say! I do not want to start any bad habits!**

solsburyhill · February 2013

My DH said the same thing when I was pregnant, that we would be honest about food, not hide stuff, not trick him into eating anything.

We haven't had the opportunity to lie anyway ... Augie is such a bad eater! He knows! I couldn't tell him a rice cake was a cookie, he'd be like, well that's a cookie I don't want to eat!

But yeah, in general, I don't think it's good to lie.

mnewlee · February 2013

I wouldn't think twice about calling a cracker a cookie. Close enough.

Over all though I won't lie to her about food just to get her to try it. I have issues with food so I'm very careful not to create those in her.

I do remember my parents serving deer for dinner and not telling us what it was until we had tried it. They didn't lie just said "try it first". I wouldn't be beyond something like that.

One thing I find myself doing is calling medicine "bites". That's a word she understands and has positive connotations for her so it makes giving medicine easier. I probably need to stop doing that, I don't want her to think medicine is a snack..that could be dangerous.

ldcoffel · February 2013

I think we are pretty honest about food. But the kids are pretty good eaters. L didn't want fish and it crossed my mind to tell her it was chicken. But we told her it was "brain food" and she was more interested. I have lied about carbonated water being soda.

becasmeca · February 2013

MRoss1982:
mnewlee:

I do remember my parents serving deer for dinner and not telling us what it was until we had tried it. They didn't lie just said "try it first". I wouldn't be beyond something like that.

I did that to SO because he claimed he didn't like venison. He ate the whole dang thing before I told him what it was. Now he always asks me 20 interrogating questions before he eats some things. Oops.

We had family friends do this to us too! My H loved the 100 year old chewy deer... I never went to those friends' house for dinner again!

becasmeca · February 2013

MRoss1982:
becasmeca:
MRoss1982:
mnewlee:

I do remember my parents serving deer for dinner and not telling us what it was until we had tried it. They didn't lie just said "try it first". I wouldn't be beyond something like that.

I did that to SO because he claimed he didn't like venison. He ate the whole dang thing before I told him what it was. Now he always asks me 20 interrogating questions before he eats some things. Oops.

We had family friends do this to us too! My H loved the 100 year old chewy deer... I never went to those friends' house for dinner again!

Ewww! What is that??

My girlfriend went hunting with her Dad and brought back home an Elk that was bigger than her (she was 6ft. 3") soooo they joked it was 100 years old to get *that* big! Because it was so chewy, the family was even more convinced it was an "old" animal but the meat was still good? Ick! never again.

jen4ny · February 2013

We don't really lie about food very much. I will sometimes tell A that pork is chicken so he will try it. But otherwise I think we pretty much call food what it is. He is such a picky eater I don't know if it would matter that we call something a different name.

alli&dan · February 2013

Guilty. I tried to get B to eat a banana muffin the other day by calling it a cookie. I'm just so frustrated with her new found pickiness. She likes muffins. She likes bananas. WhyTF wouldn't she eat banana muffin?

manda26 · February 2013

Ive called a cracker a cookie, well O says "cookie" for anything like that so I said it too. I was once tricked into eating deer by my dad. It wasn't bad, but I still dont want to eat it, same as I don't want to eat veal even if I know it tastes good.

When we took infant CPR they relayed to us not to call medicine candy or anything like that because they might get a hold of it without you knowing and take it and have way too much. So I cam very conscience of calling medicine, medicine.

alstumb@gmail.com · February 2013

Carter calls rice cakes "cookies", because they're round, I guess. I don't usually correct him. If he wants to think that's a cookie, that's fine by me! He is so picky lately, though, we haven't had to worry about it...he will only eat a few things and knows what they are, without names for them.

But this reminds me that when my sister was little, she would only eat meat of you told her it was chicken. I don't think that scarred her. Haha

SusieBW · February 2013

mnewlee:
I wouldn't think twice about calling a cracker a cookie. Close enough.

This. Cookies and crackers are interchangeable in our house. And Puffs are crackers, too. Except when they're cookies. Chips tend to be called crackers, as well. And then there's these torta things that I buy - I'm not even quite sure what they are, so I think we call them crackers, too.

Generally, we don't lie about what food is, though. I try to tell her that something might be the greatest thing she's ever eaten, but she'll never know if she doesn't try it. I'm not sure she gets that reasoning yet, though.

We call medicine medicine, and tell her it's to make her feel better, so she should have it. She's always been good about taking whatever it is, though. probably because baby medicine is so sweet and tasty.

shelley1002 · February 2013

MRoss1982:
mnewlee:

I do remember my parents serving deer for dinner and not telling us what it was until we had tried it. They didn't lie just said "try it first". I wouldn't be beyond something like that. 

 

I did that to SO because he claimed he didn't like venison. He ate the whole dang thing before I told him what it was. Now he always asks me 20 interrogating questions before he eats some things. Oops.

My dad did that to us with rabbit stew. He said it was chicken and after dinner he told us it was rabbit. He tried with venison a couple times but I always caught him because I would get sick after without even being told it was venison. Apparently my stomach is sensitive to it.

linzica · February 2013

I'm going to try to encourage Q to always be open to new foods, but I don't think I'll lie. H and I are both picky with what we like and don't like, but I don't think either of us were raised to be adverse to trying new things. Hopefully we can do the same.

AmandaPaige6410 · February 2013

Lol!
The only way I got DS to eat a pork chop was telling him it was a huge chicken nugget. I know there have been others too.

I get where your H is coming from, but sometimes you just gotta give a little. Especially to an inquisitive 4 year old.

Want a personalized experience?

Lying about food

Re: Lying about food

Choose Another Board

Search Boards