It was like that in the house I grew up in as well. We also had to sit at the table until we had eaten everything on our plate. I remember sitting at the table at 10pm...

Things have changed in my house. While my daughter may ask what we're having (and typically does), if she doesn't eat the dinner that was prepared, she doesn't eat. There are only the two of us now so often she does the cooking. When I cook, I try NOT to fix anything she doesn't like to begin with. Sometimes I will fix something though that I really enjoy and she really would rather not have at all like potroast :o) Yesterday I slowcooked a potroast all day so it was ready when I got home from work - yummy!


>>>Funny, that is what my daughter usually says... :o) If it is something she is not interested in eating, then she will say she ate a large lunch and only wants a snack. However, that snack is usually as large as a meal.
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>>That was against the rules in my house. You ate the dinner that was served and except for special circumstances (one kid didn't eat red meat, for example), everyone had the same meal. I was a mean mom. <g>
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>It was that way in my house, too -- the one I grew up in. I think that was very much the norm back then. It no longer seems to be as common in this country, due probably to many factors.