Meal times can be stressful for any parent. Getting your little one to eat can smack more of “Hell’s Kitchen” than “Nailed It” so sometimes you’ve got to take unusual measures to make it work. Whether it’s a game of choo-choo train or a gentle amount of bribery, every parent has to figure out what method works for them.
But, in no circumstances is threatening physical violence one of those methods.
In a particularly horrifying trend, parents are now “beating up” their children’s stuffed toys in order to get them to eat. Parents can be seen pretending to feed the toys (which they obviously don’t eat) and then punching them as a result.
It’s pretty horrific to watch
It’s not exactly a secret that kids learn from their parents and they are soaking up everything constantly. So, there are a few elements to this trend that make it so terrifying.
The child is shown “what happens” to someone who doesn’t eat their food. So essentially the parent is saying that if they don’t eat, they will also be hit in this way. The child is also shown that in order to get what you want (from the parents’ perspective) it is okay and probably encouraged to use physical means.
For kids, their stuffed toys are their first best friends, now, imagine watching your mum or dad beating them. That’s just traumatic. Apart from anything, food and meal times should be an enjoyable experience growing up, warping a child’s relationship with food can lead to unhealthy eating habits, including disorders.
Ultimately, violence should NEVER be a motivator, this is simply teaching children that they have to behave a certain way out of fear of being hurt. Now, apply that to an adult.
Thankfully, this guy has stepped up and shown people the right way to ENCOURAGE kids to eat.
It takes a lot of work to be a parent and no one will ever deny that, but from the moment they are born you are creating an adult and teaching them things they will carry with them for life. Violence as a consequence should never be a lesson. Clearly, parenting is not for everyone.