A New Jersey mom has left parents in stitches after realizing why she eats her kids’ leftovers.
Daniela Wood (@danielawould) posted a reel on Instagram about to put their half-eaten meals in the trash but then stops to consider her next move.
The text overlay reads: “When you’re a millennial parent so you don’t make your kids finish their food because of how you were raised so now you finish their leftovers because of how you were raised.”
Wood, 34, had a lightbulb moment while she was cleaning up dinner one day.
“I just realized that often I’ll eat my kid’s leftovers and one day I stopped and wondered, what’s that all about? I thought maybe it had something to do with being raised in the ‘finish your plate’ generation,” the mom of two told Newsweek.
When Wood was growing up, family dinners were a big deal in her house. “We ate together at the table every night that we could with the exception of sports and parents getting home from work late,” she said.
Although she was never forced to finish her plate, it was encouraged. “We were reminded of how strict their parents were around mealtime manners and etiquette including finishing everything that was on your plate,” Wood said.
That generational echo seems to have lingered in her subconscious—and she’ll often have an internal battle with herself when her kids leave food.
Wood told Newsweek: “It goes something like this: ‘Ugh, why don’t they eat the food I make them?! I don’t want to throw this out. It’s okay, they’re supposed to listen to their bodies. Ugh! But I know they’ll be hungry and ask for a snack in 10 minutes.
“Why do I waste my time on making nice meals, are they getting enough nutrition? Do other kids eat like this? It’s normal. I know lots of kids are picky and end up fine. Wasting food is bad. OK, fine, I’ll just finish it.’”
When it comes to her own parenting style, Wood explained that her experience of eating disorders informs how she raises her children now.
“I have a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling and also suffered from an ED for 10 years,” she said. “This has shaped the way I speak about bodies and food with my kids.”
Unlike the subtle shame or pressure some previous generations felt around eating, Wood is deliberate about why she doesn’t label food as bad, junk or fattening.
“I don’t make negative comments about bodies,” she said. “I also try to let my kids follow their hunger cues, but it is REALLY hard.”
Wood’s reel has clocked up over 834,000 views and many other users seemed to find the funny side.
“Me everyday!” one user wrote. Meanwhile, another added: “This is what I call ‘scrappetizers.’”
“It’s always interesting to see how people interpret these kinds of videos or what memories it triggers for them,” Wood said. “I definitely find myself encouraging my kids to have three or so more bites before they can go play. I am sure that is not the best way, but I’m doing my best.”
The post Millennial Mom Skips Boomer Plate Rule—Her Twist Has Parents in Stitches appeared first on Newsweek.
