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Children may be ruthless sometimes and will tell you the truth without sugarcoating it. That is why parents try and teach their little ones that it's not very nice to say some things even if they are true. But when parents forbid their kids from saying certain words, then children turn on their incredibly creative minds and gift the adults with some gems.
Twitter user @AlixEHarrow shared that she doesn't let her 4-year-old say the word 'gross' at the dinner table and that resulted in the child inventing new phrases to say the same thing.
Image credits: Jessica Merz
Image credits: AlixEHarrow
Apparently, forbidding words is a common thing between parents and children who then have to find ways to express themselves using different words. Parents shared the genius phrases their kids have come up with and it's a thread that will give you a good laugh.
More info: Twitter
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Alix E. Harrow is a full-time writer who lives in Kentucky. She is the author of the novels The Ten Thousand Doors Of January and The Once And Future Witches and she is now working on another one.
She is also a mother to two little children and from time to time shares the unexpected things her children say. One of her tweets went quite viral with 229k likes and in it, the author described how her 4-year-old wanted to express that he didn’t like the food he was eating and found even better ways to describe the feeling.
People in the thread loved the phrases Alix E. Harrow’s kid invented, especially the one saying "this tastes.......unlucky to me." They were saying that they will start using the expression as well.
Others started sharing their own children’s sayings when they don’t like what they are eating and this resulted in a very fun thread that would make anyone’s day brighter.
Children may be really picky eaters, especially in their toddler years. Researchers say that there are several reasons why little children may not eat certain foods. They may actually just simply have food preferences, they want to feel in control, they feel stressed about mealtime, or have a fear of trying out new foods. It can also be a case of an emotional moment that doesn't have anything to do with food or they are provided with examples of picky eaters.
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Usually, these preferences go away and children broaden their tastes, but it’s always smart to offer them new and different things all the time or try to convince them to taste the same things as taste changes over time.
To encourage children to eat, it is advised to let them be autonomous and choose what plate they want to eat from, with what utensils, and in what order they want to eat. Researchers suggest being sensitive and calm, creating a routine for them, and making sure that mealtimes aren’t stressful.
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Brandon Marlowe 3 years ago
Like saying, "Oh, you're an excellent artist. You just don't paint anything people want to see." I get it.
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Jo Johannsen 3 years ago
I don't remember how old I was when my mother told me I couldn't leave the table until ate my vegetable soup. Throwing up did not change her mind. I wonder to this day what worldwide cataclysm would have occurred due to my failure to eat that soup. Also, I did not like watermelon, and she was not going to be known as the mother who has a kid that doesn't like watermelon.
And if your children don’t like a certain meal you’ve prepared, share their reaction and unexpected wording of their feelings in the comments! Also, don’t forget to upvote the tweets that made you laugh the most and share your thoughts and reactions.
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Artoonist Corine 3 years ago
Mine just like to complain, as they cleaned their plates and sometimes had seconds.....
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Kate Priestley 3 years ago
My friend's little daughter politely told me "I don't do carrots" as if it was simply a lifestyle choice.
Xan Maranya 3 years ago
My mother gave us the phrase, "Not my favorite." It came in handy... plus laughter.
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What do you think ?
kim morris 3 years ago
When I was a kid, maybe 7 or 8, we were really poor. One night for dinner Mom made us burgers, I was trying to compliment her. I said 'Mom, these burgers are Almost as good as McDonalds!' My dad got so mad at me. I think Mom cried. I can't remember, it was a long time ago. But I remember being made to feel a fool by my dad.
Jessica N 3 years ago
We only got to eat fast food once a year, on our birthday. Single parent household, my mom gave us a wonderful childhood with what she could afford and made it a treat. If i had said at 6 that a burger was almost as good as McDonald's, that would be the highest flattery i could give.
Load More Replies... Glirpy 3 years ago
What amazes me are how there are so many kids allergic to foods nowadays. Something weird is going on.
Dexio Is Me 3 years ago
The reason kids today have allergies is a combination of new knowledge on how allergies work, new hormones in the food, and for allergies not related to food, new cleaners and obsessive or constant cleaning. If you don’t want your children or family members to develop allergies, I might suggest growing and raising most of not all of your own food (depending on where you live) and taking them outside on a regular basis. With children, going on walks and asking how food feels if they “don’t like it” (especially with things most children typically like) can give you insight into what allergies they might have. It also will encourage communication which will definitely help in the later years.
Load More Replies...
Jo Choto 3 years ago
I am so lucky my child was not a picky eater. Didn't like mushrooms, still didn't. That was it. She ate whatever I ate. I am fascinated how some kids are really, really picky and get very upset and some are just fine with everything. There must be some kind of biological or genetic component to it.
Dark Side of the Loom 3 years ago
My son also loves anything but mushrooms, and my daughter is very picky (though they had quite the same education). She is also very sensitive to smells (which is a sensitivity that people accept more than being sensitive to food or "picky"). So yes uou might be right, there could be some biological explanation...
Load More Replies...
Daniel Atkins 3 years ago
When i was young I told my grandmother I like my mother's green beans better because she uses a timer. The real reason My grandmother put onions with her green beans.
Cattress511 3 years ago
My mom still tries to sneak onions past us. It's not that I don't like the flavor they add, but they give me indigestion, and the moment I bite into one, no matter how small, my appetite is gone because I can't stand the consistency! And she thinks she can put them in things, lie and say she didn't, and that I (or others who feel the same) won't notice!
Load More Replies...
Sam Yobado 3 years ago
You work so hard to make homemade quality meals, then one day they stay for lunch at some kids house. Now everything is judged against Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and hot dogs, and it seems our meals do not compare well.
Louloubelle 3 years ago
We always gave our kids a treat to go out an eat after the open house at school. My son asked if we were going to do that again one year, and I said yes. He got very excited, because "they make food that tastes better than you do". Ouch.
Carrie de Luka 3 years ago
Think of it this way - if you are paying for a meal out surely it should be better than what you eat at home generally otherwise what's the point?
Load More Replies...
Amie Redman 3 years ago
My son is 8, and up until about 6 he was a picky eater, because I let him be. I finally got fed up of making two different dinners every night after a long day of work, so I have my son help me make dinner every night. It’s working so far. He still hates tomatoes and eggs, but I think I can live with that.
Carol Emory 3 years ago
Kids get over it. My son hated broccoli when he was little...hardly touched vegetables and wouldn't even think of trying clam chowder. Now he grosses his Dad out every time him and I get pizza with mushrooms and olives or we have sandwiches with pickles and mayo all over them.
Isabel Care 2 years ago
Aged 5, at lunch, the teacher said "Eat your cabbage" I replied "It's not cabbage. I love cabbage and I really don't like this" It was boiled to death spring greens. I found out last week that my brother dislikes the 2 veg that I can't even eat to be polite to the cook...mushy peas and broad beans. My mum's cousin tried to make me eat them when I was staying with her (having been told by my mum that they were the only things I didn't eat). We argued, I was told to go to my room, then to stay at the table til I finished my food, she tried to grab me, I bit her hand and called her an evil old witch. Mum said that she had always wanted to do that too. If I had eaten them, I would have been sick afterwards (that's what happened when I tried them) which would have been just as bad. Mum took another 30 years until she stood up for herself with her evil cousin.
Jill Bussey 2 years ago
I was taught to say I was not very keen on something, if I didn't like it.
Grayson Wrigley 3 years ago
When my sister was about 4 she tried to compliment my aunt on how tender a pot roast was by saying"I could chew it for days!"
Memaw Mitch 3 years ago
My then 7yo son didn't like what I made, I finished and went to wash off my plate, he then tells me "I can't eat this, there's an ant in it". He had been waiting for me to get up so he could grab the one he saw come in through a crack. Haha
Melissa Sanchez 3 years ago
When I was a kid my mom added a little cheese wizz (canned soft cheese) to our veggies it worked and got us to eat broccoli which is as most parents know not kids favorite.
Tabitha Martel 3 years ago
Mom of two. My oldest (10) has sensory issues which extend to food which is a different level of picky. My youngest (7) is adventurous and will try almost anything. However, I'm hoping another parent can explain to me the decisions to not allow kids to call something yucky? Or gross? I get not influencing siblings but in general what is the concern? Not trying to be rude just truly curious.
Alex Boyd 3 years ago
I wouldn't mind an occasional "yucky," but some kids will continue to elaborate on that theme--comparing the food to increasingly disgusting things, for example--to a point that is both hurtful to the cook and detrimental to the appetites of other people at the table. It can be simpler to just issue a blanket ban on saying the food is gross, rather than continually re-litigate when a particular soliloquy on the theme of Yuck has gone too far.
Load More Replies...
Raven DeathShade 3 years ago
In general, kids don't like complicated or sophisticated dishes. They're kids, let them eat like kids. Simple dishes (preferably with lots of cheese where applicable) can work wonders. I grew up eating things like chicken fettuccine(chicken, spiral noodles, canned alfredo sauce, cheese), Italian sausage bake(Italian sausage, spiral noodles, tomato sauce, cheese), spaghetti(Italian sausage, spaghetti noodles, tomato sauce, cheese optional), meatballs and noodles(meatballs, homemade sauce, bowtie noodles), chicken corn chowder(a chowder consisting of chicken, onions, garlic, evaporated milk, creamed corn and some other ingredients with a side of large rolls shaped into bowls), and many others that my 10 siblings and I really love and with a bit of instruction can make for ourselves.
Aliquid 3 years ago
Depends on the kid. Don't assume they don't like complicated or sophisticated dishes. I used to play a game with my daughter when she was 6 when we were grocery shopping, where she would look for something she had never eaten or tried before. We would get it, and she would look forward to being able to try it at home. Some things she liked, some she didn't, but she was always adventurous and curious.
Load More Replies...
Cattress511 3 years ago
I used to ask my mom what she made me to eat as soon as I saw dinner wasn't one of the few acceptable meals, or she dared trying to make something new. She's a fine cook, better than I; I was and am a picky eater, though I eat more now and try new things.
kim morris 3 years ago
When I was a kid, maybe 7 or 8, we were really poor. One night for dinner Mom made us burgers, I was trying to compliment her. I said 'Mom, these burgers are Almost as good as McDonalds!' My dad got so mad at me. I think Mom cried. I can't remember, it was a long time ago. But I remember being made to feel a fool by my dad.
Jessica N 3 years ago
We only got to eat fast food once a year, on our birthday. Single parent household, my mom gave us a wonderful childhood with what she could afford and made it a treat. If i had said at 6 that a burger was almost as good as McDonald's, that would be the highest flattery i could give.
Load More Replies... Glirpy 3 years ago
What amazes me are how there are so many kids allergic to foods nowadays. Something weird is going on.
Dexio Is Me 3 years ago
The reason kids today have allergies is a combination of new knowledge on how allergies work, new hormones in the food, and for allergies not related to food, new cleaners and obsessive or constant cleaning. If you don’t want your children or family members to develop allergies, I might suggest growing and raising most of not all of your own food (depending on where you live) and taking them outside on a regular basis. With children, going on walks and asking how food feels if they “don’t like it” (especially with things most children typically like) can give you insight into what allergies they might have. It also will encourage communication which will definitely help in the later years.
Load More Replies... Jo Choto 3 years ago
I am so lucky my child was not a picky eater. Didn't like mushrooms, still didn't. That was it. She ate whatever I ate. I am fascinated how some kids are really, really picky and get very upset and some are just fine with everything. There must be some kind of biological or genetic component to it.
Dark Side of the Loom 3 years ago
My son also loves anything but mushrooms, and my daughter is very picky (though they had quite the same education). She is also very sensitive to smells (which is a sensitivity that people accept more than being sensitive to food or "picky"). So yes uou might be right, there could be some biological explanation...
Load More Replies... Daniel Atkins 3 years ago
When i was young I told my grandmother I like my mother's green beans better because she uses a timer. The real reason My grandmother put onions with her green beans.
Cattress511 3 years ago
My mom still tries to sneak onions past us. It's not that I don't like the flavor they add, but they give me indigestion, and the moment I bite into one, no matter how small, my appetite is gone because I can't stand the consistency! And she thinks she can put them in things, lie and say she didn't, and that I (or others who feel the same) won't notice!
Load More Replies... Sam Yobado 3 years ago
You work so hard to make homemade quality meals, then one day they stay for lunch at some kids house. Now everything is judged against Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and hot dogs, and it seems our meals do not compare well.
Louloubelle 3 years ago
We always gave our kids a treat to go out an eat after the open house at school. My son asked if we were going to do that again one year, and I said yes. He got very excited, because "they make food that tastes better than you do". Ouch.
Carrie de Luka 3 years ago
Think of it this way - if you are paying for a meal out surely it should be better than what you eat at home generally otherwise what's the point?
Load More Replies... Amie Redman 3 years ago
My son is 8, and up until about 6 he was a picky eater, because I let him be. I finally got fed up of making two different dinners every night after a long day of work, so I have my son help me make dinner every night. It’s working so far. He still hates tomatoes and eggs, but I think I can live with that.
Carol Emory 3 years ago
Kids get over it. My son hated broccoli when he was little...hardly touched vegetables and wouldn't even think of trying clam chowder. Now he grosses his Dad out every time him and I get pizza with mushrooms and olives or we have sandwiches with pickles and mayo all over them.
Isabel Care 2 years ago
Aged 5, at lunch, the teacher said "Eat your cabbage" I replied "It's not cabbage. I love cabbage and I really don't like this" It was boiled to death spring greens. I found out last week that my brother dislikes the 2 veg that I can't even eat to be polite to the cook...mushy peas and broad beans. My mum's cousin tried to make me eat them when I was staying with her (having been told by my mum that they were the only things I didn't eat). We argued, I was told to go to my room, then to stay at the table til I finished my food, she tried to grab me, I bit her hand and called her an evil old witch. Mum said that she had always wanted to do that too. If I had eaten them, I would have been sick afterwards (that's what happened when I tried them) which would have been just as bad. Mum took another 30 years until she stood up for herself with her evil cousin.
Jill Bussey 2 years ago
I was taught to say I was not very keen on something, if I didn't like it.
Grayson Wrigley 3 years ago
When my sister was about 4 she tried to compliment my aunt on how tender a pot roast was by saying"I could chew it for days!"
Memaw Mitch 3 years ago
My then 7yo son didn't like what I made, I finished and went to wash off my plate, he then tells me "I can't eat this, there's an ant in it". He had been waiting for me to get up so he could grab the one he saw come in through a crack. Haha
Melissa Sanchez 3 years ago
When I was a kid my mom added a little cheese wizz (canned soft cheese) to our veggies it worked and got us to eat broccoli which is as most parents know not kids favorite.
Tabitha Martel 3 years ago
Mom of two. My oldest (10) has sensory issues which extend to food which is a different level of picky. My youngest (7) is adventurous and will try almost anything. However, I'm hoping another parent can explain to me the decisions to not allow kids to call something yucky? Or gross? I get not influencing siblings but in general what is the concern? Not trying to be rude just truly curious.
Alex Boyd 3 years ago
I wouldn't mind an occasional "yucky," but some kids will continue to elaborate on that theme--comparing the food to increasingly disgusting things, for example--to a point that is both hurtful to the cook and detrimental to the appetites of other people at the table. It can be simpler to just issue a blanket ban on saying the food is gross, rather than continually re-litigate when a particular soliloquy on the theme of Yuck has gone too far.
Load More Replies... Raven DeathShade 3 years ago
In general, kids don't like complicated or sophisticated dishes. They're kids, let them eat like kids. Simple dishes (preferably with lots of cheese where applicable) can work wonders. I grew up eating things like chicken fettuccine(chicken, spiral noodles, canned alfredo sauce, cheese), Italian sausage bake(Italian sausage, spiral noodles, tomato sauce, cheese), spaghetti(Italian sausage, spaghetti noodles, tomato sauce, cheese optional), meatballs and noodles(meatballs, homemade sauce, bowtie noodles), chicken corn chowder(a chowder consisting of chicken, onions, garlic, evaporated milk, creamed corn and some other ingredients with a side of large rolls shaped into bowls), and many others that my 10 siblings and I really love and with a bit of instruction can make for ourselves.
Aliquid 3 years ago
Depends on the kid. Don't assume they don't like complicated or sophisticated dishes. I used to play a game with my daughter when she was 6 when we were grocery shopping, where she would look for something she had never eaten or tried before. We would get it, and she would look forward to being able to try it at home. Some things she liked, some she didn't, but she was always adventurous and curious.
Load More Replies... Cattress511 3 years ago
I used to ask my mom what she made me to eat as soon as I saw dinner wasn't one of the few acceptable meals, or she dared trying to make something new. She's a fine cook, better than I; I was and am a picky eater, though I eat more now and try new things.
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