Growing up, I envied a lot of characters I saw within my peers. But now that I am all grown, I am glad I don't have such an attitude. For some, it's okay. But for me, it's something I can't tolerate. I can tolerate a lot of things, but you see this attitude of pickiness when it comes to food, Like food oo. It is something I don't consider likely. Most of these attitudes are the result of their upbringing.
Here are my reasons:
That is one part of my upbringing that I love and would want to replicate in my children.
When it comes to my upbringing, there are many things I would love to replicate in my children. A whole lot. I feel my parents did a perfect job regarding our upbringing. I am currently having a wonderful life because of the morals my parents instilled in me. But since just one is required, I'll share the one my children must have/do. It's a must for them.
NOT PICKY (Especially with food). NO NAH!!!!
I grew up in a house where what we ate was what was prepared. You can't choose what you want to eat; you eat what is prepared. And again, you don't get to serve your meal and eat alone. Our meals were served together, and we all got to eat at the same time from the same dish. If for instance, one person is busy with something, we get to wait for that person to finish up so that we can eat together, or we go help that person finish up faster so that we can eat together.
The only time we could eat without our siblings was if the person was not at home. But if we are all at home, we all must eat together.
As we grew older, Mummy started dishing our meals separately, but we didn't eat at different time intervals or locations. We all eat in the dining room together. You can't eat your food in your room while others are eating in the dining room. No way!!
While growing up, I felt my mum was being too dramatic. My friends had the freedom to eat what they wanted to and when they wanted to. But not in my family.
But one thing I noticed amongst my siblings and me was the bond that such a moment brought us. Life was way easier because we could survive in any situation.
Coming to the higher institution, I had roommates who don't eat this, they don't eat that and it's somewhat frustrating. That bond was never there. After preparing a meal, your roommate can easily say I don't like fish in my stew, so I am not going to eat. Shuu!! Like, how, aunty?
I had one that said she doesn't eat swallow( fufu ) at all. My question was, then what do you eat? A NIGERIAN that doesn't eat swallow, wow. Such people always make life difficult.
I had this friend who said that in their family, the mum gets to prepare what she wants to eat; she also makes what her husband wants to eat and then, as for the children, whatever you want to eat, you go and cook it yourself. That may sound cool to a lot of people but not for me. She complained about how the youngest sibling gets to stay hungry most of the time because she can't cook and how selfish the rest of her siblings can be. In her house currently, you don't keep a drink in the freezer or a portion of food in the kitchen. Because if you do, you won't come back to meet it.
There are days when you'll be so tired and hungry but since no one cooks for anybody, you either steal food or pay someone else to cook for you. That is so sad.
As for my children, you must not eat together on the same plate as me and my siblings but you see that thing of; Mummy I don't like this I don't like that, You won't do it in my house oo. You must eat everything, period. If you like to be picky with other things, but when it comes to food, I rebuke it for them.
As for the part of what I would never want to recreate in bringing up my child, I don't think I have any. If only I could bring my parents to raise my children for me, I would, but I would have to handle that myself.