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Parenting

04th Jun 2022

Opinion: Kids are not born picky eaters – parents make them picky eaters

Trine Jensen-Burke

picky eaters

Thoughts?

A TikTok mum recently took to the video sharing platform to share her opinion on kids who are picky eaters – and ended up causing a bit of an uproar.

The mum, who goes by @itsacretelife on the app, shared a video of her little girl tucking into what looked to be a lovely, homecooked meal – but then statated:

“Opinion of the day: kids are not picky eaters from birth. Parents inadvertently help them become picky.”

@itsacretelife Opinion of the day: kids are not picky eaters from birth. Parents inadvertently help them become picky. #pickyeater #unpopularopinion #fypシ ♬ Funny Song – Cavendish Music

Well – understandably – her comment made other parents feel a little annoyed, with some even calling the mum out for parent shaming.

One user commented:

“Tell me you only have one child without telling me you only have one child. My first made me feel like I was the best parent.”

Another one stated:

“Some kids are born with sensory issues that prevent them from eating certain foods. They’re not always just ‘picky eaters.”

The comments kept rolling in on the video, most of them calling @itsacretelife out for her opinion, saying that shaming parents because their kids are picky with food is simply not cool.

After even more backlash, the mum-of-one ended up making a follow-up video, where she elaborated on the issue, and tried to clarify what it was she had actually meant to say:

“Let me clarify. There is a difference between picky eaters and having tastes and preferences,” she explained.

“I’m not talking about your child not liking squash and therefore they’re picky and it’s your fault. I’m talking about the kids that will only eat processed junk food, because that’s what the parents feed them because it’s easier.

“Parents decide they needed to eat healthier, they try to introduce them to vegetables and then the kids won’t eat it because they want their regular junk food. Parents say, ‘Oh well, they’re picky. They won’t eat their vegetables. That’s the parent creating a picky eater.”

But this explanation only caused more of a stir, with other mums claiming every child is different, and so are their tastes.

@itsacretelife Reply to @imabluddysimp i apologize to anyone this offended. I can try to explain till I’m blue in the face and there will still be people that miss what I am trying to say. #MINDORDERING #unpopularopinion ♬ The Office – The Hyphenate

What do YOU think? Is the mum right on some level? Or is this another case of parent shaming?