Chief's Tip of the Day:
Teach Your Children/Grand Children Well
I taught my own children, when they were very young, and now my grandchildren the same eating lessons.
1. Try everything, as you don't know if you like something, or not, until you try it.
2. Take only as much food as you think you can comfortably eat.
3. Be courteous. If there is something you really like at the meal, make sure everyone has had their fair share before indulging in more.
4. Eat from least to most favorite things on the plate. You will encourage the child to pace themselves, and be rewarded with the last bite being the best bite. If the best bite is desert, or a favorite food, then by saving room for it as the last bite, they won't be as apt to overfill the plate, and waste food.
In my home, when I was a child, I loved everything. And yet, there were just some things that were special at every meal. I have no idea where i got the idea to save the best for last, but it has served me well throughout my life.
5. No arguing, or horseplay at the table.
6. Encourage your children to play with their food, in appropriate ways of course. Don't scold them for stirring their ice cream into soft serve. The warmer ice cream is less apt to create brain-freeze, and is richer in flavor, as taste buds are more sensitive when the ice cream isn't as cold.
Let them rub two fingers together after eating fried chicken. It teaches lessons about viscosity, and friction. The memories of rubbing my fingers together actually helped me understand those principle years later in physics classes.
Placing a finger over the free end of a drinking straw, immersed in liquid, lifting it from the liquid, and removing the finger teaches about vacuum, and air pressure. Of course, not every meal needs to be a science lesson. Sometimes, it's just fun to eat a cold slice of watermelon in the back yard, with a hose nearby, and spit seeds at each other.
7. Don't encourage behaviors where one dares another to do something, like eating the hottest peppers, or trying to chew a mouth stuffed with soda crackers. There are dares that I have seen that can cause physical harm. These can be dangerous, and can make someone feel like they are lesser.
Ok, that's it for now.
Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North