Sending kids to bed without dinner

[the_std]

This was something my parents used against my little brother, who used to be the pickiest little fart-head you ever did see, plus a troublemaker to boot. No other punishment really worked on him, because he found a way to weasel out of it. Time outs didn't work because, no matter where you sent him, he found something to play with. Grounding didn't work because he loved playing at home and didn't have much of a social life. Only the more primal stuff, like hunger, was effective, because it was one thing he couldn't ignore.

It was never cruel, however. He got breakfast the following morning, so it's not like he was truly starved or anything. Just a little wiser for the wear.

[blas87]

I think that's a better idea than forcefeeding. And no, my parents didn't literally try to shove nasty things like sprouts and other vegetables (eww I HATE veggies!) into my mouth and down my throat, but if I did not finish every single bite of everything on my plate, I was grounded. Of course I never went to bed hungry...but I did want to make myself vomit at times.

You really need to understand though, my mother is one of those women who thinks she is Rachael Ray, but her food is literally toxic and beyond disgusting.

I've always hated veggies anyway. Good thing we got a dog when I was 12.

[Dreamstalker]

I was also a somewhat picky eater when it came to veggies (but what kid wasn't?) My mom used that tactic a couple times, but I think we both knew that my innate curiosity would lead me to eating it at least once. (she started me out good; my first solid food was fresh oyster stew and I was chowing down on the best peking duck in DC by age two).

If I only liked something with butter/etc or really hated it, she didn't mind making changes because to her, I at least tried and could say why I didn't like it. Eventually I would come back to the food...I couldn't stand brussels sprouts when I was a pup, now I'd eat them year-round if I could.

[AdminAssistant]

I was a bit of a picky eater. I didn't care for meat, I only wanted bread.

My nephew is the same way, except he only wants junk food - chicken nuggets, especially. Problem is, my sister hardly ever cooks, so he usually gets what he wants.

[Greenday]

My mom used to put the plate down in front of her and say, "You're here until you've eaten." She'd hold out for a few hours, then eat so she could go play. I don't recall her ever refusing to eat before going to bed, but I have no doubt that my mom would have been okay with that, at least for one night.

I like that tactic. You learn really fast that disgusting food hot tastes better than disgusting food cold.

[Boozy]

I don't like the idea of using hunger as a punishment, but I see nothing wrong with using this as a tactic for really picky eaters.

Some kids, no matter how hard their parents try, won't eat anything but junk food if you let them. In that case, as soon as they're old enough to understand, I have no problem with parents putting a plate of broccoli and chicken (or whatever the family is eating for dinner that night) in front of them and saying, "This is the family's dinnner tonight. You will eat this, or you will eat nothing."

My mom was pretty good about letting us pick and choose what we wanted to a certain extent. I ate every vegetable put in front of me, except green beans. So it was no big deal for her to put some raw carrots on my plate on green bean night. But my little sister refused to eat anything but bread and potatoes. My parents had to get tough with her. My mom used to put the plate down in front of her and say, "You're here until you've eaten." She'd hold out for a few hours, then eat so she could go play. I don't recall her ever refusing to eat before going to bed, but I have no doubt that my mom would have been okay with that, at least for one night.

[Greenday]

When I was a kid, if I said I didn't want to eat what was made, my parents threatened to take my plate away from me. If I continued to complain, they took it away from me and there was no way in hell they were going to make me something else.

Come to think of it, if I don't like what my mom cooks now, I have to make myself something new, even if it's something she's known that I haven't liked for the past 21 years of my 21 year old life.

[AFPheonix]

It's one tool in a toolbox and hunger isn't necessarily the most horrible thing ever, especially if the kid gets breakfast the next day. It can be uncomfortable for a little while, yes, but it is hardly harmful. For some food-motivated kids, it may very well be just the ticket to push their reset buttons.

[guywithashovel]

Although it was never done to me when I was a kid, some parents have punished unruly children by sending them to bed without their dinners. I don't think very many parents today do it, but from listening to people who are a few decades older than I am, it seems that parents sometimes did this in the past.

I'm just wondering what everyone thinks of this as a punishment. Is it too cruel and over the top, or is it an acceptable form of punishment? Also, were you ever punished this way as a child? I never was. My mom told me once that before she even had my sister and me, she swore that she was never going to use that as a punishment, and she never did.