I Can't Believe You Eat (Drink) That!

Recently while having dinner with friends, I heard a parent say,"I can't believe you are drinking that," to the youngest child at the table. I wanted to say something like,"We all have different tastes," but then I would have interfered with a parent/child relationship.

In many families I know both here and abroad, I have noticed that parents are huge influences in food tastes of their children. I figure my hub and I were also that way with our son, but we eat almost anything and everything. And so does he! I can't think of too much that he (or we) haven't or wouldn't try, at least once. But we have never told him that he wouldn't or shouldn't like some food or drink.

I have even heard a relative say, "None of us in this family eats ------." Well, I guess not if the parents say it tastes nasty! I always get a good laugh when I see or hear about a college student who finally finds out that they really like to eat something that Mom or Dad never prepared or ordered in a restaurant. They had to wait over 18 years to find out that their taste buds were not controlled by their parents.

So lighten up, parents! Prepare and serve foods that even you don't like. Don't be so prejudicial about what tastes good and bad to you. Give your offspring a chance to enjoy food!

If nothing else, the kids will be great dinner guests wherever they go in life.