Get me out of this club!!!

Were you a member of the "Clean your plate club"? Are your kids? I have this battle with my husband every night. He wants our son to finish everything on his plate. I, on the other hand, encourage him to stop eating when he is done. It is hard to know whether he has had enough on those nights when his favorite food is not sitting on the table and he emphatically shouts, "I'm done!, Can I go play now?!" after only a few bites. I want him to avoid a childhood of an obesity. And I also don't want him to blame ME for any weight problems in his future. My mom fed us terrible foods and there was no limits placed on our portions. She substituted quality for convenience almost daily. I DO blame her for my childhood weight problems, but accept the blame for my weight in my adult life. So this is my question: Are you a different parent now then you were prior to surgery? Do you project different/more positive attitudes about food and exercise to your children now? Do they see you exercise? What do you do/will you do different with your children in this regard? How did your parents influence your eating habits (for good or bad)? C Leigh

My parents were the same way. I did not leave the table until EVERYTHING was eaten. I remember sitting at the table for 3 hours having to eat stuffed green peppers (I hate green peppers). I know this is not a bad food but when we had the good stuff (pizza, etc), we had the same rule. Take it, eat it!! It did not matter what or how much we took, we ate it. I did blame them for my weight at first but, as you also say, when we became adults we make our own decisions. I always made the bad decision. No excuses. They have different rules for the grandkids now, which I kinda like. The kids don't have to eat everything on their plates, but they do not leave the table until grandma (my mom) is done eating. They know she is not a fast eater and don't try to rush and play when they are over. My sister has started this with her kids at home and she loves it. The kids eat and, more importantly, they are able to talk at dinner. She eats a little slower so they can talk a little more.