The other evening, I had made sitaphal rabdi for all of us. I called my daughter Swara to have some. As usual she was not in a mood to eat it. As a two year old parent, I know what huge amount of efforts it takes to put food into your children's mouths! I'm sure every parent will agree to that! Still I pestered her to taste a spoonful. What she did afterwards shocked me!
She took her bowl with the spoon, sat cross-legged on the floor, placed her bowl in front of her lap. Then she took her soft cuddly bear, reclined it on her lap, took a spoonful of rabdi and imitated as if she were feeding it! Obviously she came to know that it is not eating, so after a few seconds she kept the spoon down and she raised her hand as if to spank the cuddly bear!
It got me thinking! I must have behaved that way sometime so as to her to follow. Do I push her to forcefully eat during meal times? Sometimes, older siblings often at dinner table cringe on having to eat their not so favourite sabzi! Younger siblings take their cues just by observing older people at home! Or sometimes we mothers say in front of our children, 'oh no, my maid hasn't come, now I have to prepare meals!' Children are sharp to understand that this may be a boring chore!
That moment, I realised that children are our best imitators! No amount of forcing our children to eat karela will lead to results unless we eat in front of them. Don't be disheartened if your child doesn't eat at that moment. Wait for an hour or so and again reintroduce that dish to her. Chances are that it may be willing to to at least taste it if not eat it!
So, parents are we behaving in the right way for our children to follow regarding food habits?
She took her bowl with the spoon, sat cross-legged on the floor, placed her bowl in front of her lap. Then she took her soft cuddly bear, reclined it on her lap, took a spoonful of rabdi and imitated as if she were feeding it! Obviously she came to know that it is not eating, so after a few seconds she kept the spoon down and she raised her hand as if to spank the cuddly bear!
It got me thinking! I must have behaved that way sometime so as to her to follow. Do I push her to forcefully eat during meal times? Sometimes, older siblings often at dinner table cringe on having to eat their not so favourite sabzi! Younger siblings take their cues just by observing older people at home! Or sometimes we mothers say in front of our children, 'oh no, my maid hasn't come, now I have to prepare meals!' Children are sharp to understand that this may be a boring chore!
That moment, I realised that children are our best imitators! No amount of forcing our children to eat karela will lead to results unless we eat in front of them. Don't be disheartened if your child doesn't eat at that moment. Wait for an hour or so and again reintroduce that dish to her. Chances are that it may be willing to to at least taste it if not eat it!
So, parents are we behaving in the right way for our children to follow regarding food habits?
Agree with you Rashmi. Lead with an example!
ReplyDeleteI read a quote long time ago in my favorite magazine, "The Readers Digest". It goes "Don't worry that your children are not listening to you but WORRY that your children are observing you".
ReplyDeleteSuch an apt quote. The author of this must have experienced what you just did Rashmi.
As a parent of 19 and 14 year olds, its magical to see all our years worth of efforts to be a good role model having an effect and the kids behaving the way you would want them to "most of the time".
As they say, "A fruit does not fall too far from the tree".
Very true!
ReplyDeletepretty well written for a first time blog, Rashmi...true..kids are the best imitators of their parents actions and mannerisms. And this does not stay restricted to food habits. They pay attention to the tiniest details of our actions/words and emulate them when least expected :)
ReplyDeletebest things to have around to keep a check on your actions and words. Amazing they are! :)