It’s Time To Quit The ‘Clean Plate Club’
What is the real impact of telling children to finish all the food on their plates?
My childhood was not one of luxury, my parents worked hard to ensure that we had the necessities but money remained tight. Like many other families, food was not to be wasted. Our mealtimes often featured the familiar catchphrase “Finish what is on your plate.” and “I want to see an empty plate”. It was almost ingrained in us.
Don’t get me wrong, there was many a time that my toys would be calling my name and my food seemed irrelevant in my quest to return to my favourite games. My daughter often becomes easily distracted by, well anything. Her eyes steadily wander from her plate to the book she was playing with before her meal and suddenly I hear a chirpy “All done”. I will often give her a slight nudge, reminding her that one chip and four peas are not quite enough to fill a growing tummy. When she persists that she is finished, I let her be.
It was Sunday dinner at my mum’s house, a tradition we are clinging to despite ever-changing schedules. My mum placed a plate of food which was nearly overflowing in front of my stepdad.
“Thank you but you shouldn’t have given me so much, now I am going to have to eat it all.”
