I have encountered a mother that feels it is okay to feed her 5 and 3 year old ketchup sandwiches?

Question

Also she feeds them ranch dressing sandwiches. That will be the only thing they may eat. She is on the food stamp program but refuses to work. She says she likes ketchup on her fries and ranch dressing on her salad and all she has left is the condiments to feed her kids.

This bothers me and whenever I see the kids I try to give them a nutritious meal. Most of the time they will refuse to eat because it is not something they have grown to like.

I have tried to talk to the mother about the quailty of food she is feeding her children but she blows it off and really does not seem to care.

I know I can call Social Services and I may do so...this has been bothering me for about 3 weeks....

Any advice or another point of view would be nice.

Thanks

(I could write much more but just want opions on this for now)

Answer 1

This doesn't sound like a very healthy diet. However, it's probably no worse than a lot of parents who feed their children McDonalds or processed foods all the time.

I doubt Social Services will do anything about this. I don't know where you live,but I am in Australia, and they would do nothing if you about a complaint of children having an unhealthy diet. It is not considered abuse or neglect if children are not fed healthy foods - it's just not very good parenting.

It's great that you are so concerned for the health of these children. Because social services will really do nothing, perhaps you could continue to help the family with their food, which you have obviously been doing already.

Perhaps you could find some simple information for the mother on the importance and benefit of healthy foods? This may make her care more about what she feeds them? You could show her some really easy but healthy things to make for her children. You could also invite the family around for dinner, and serve them a healthy meal, or make meals for the family to eat.

Good luck!

Answer 2

That is way weirder than any of the food kicks my kids have been on (although I think my little boy would be intrigued by ketchup sandwiches).  If the kids seem healthy and happy, I would continue to offer them healthy foods when you have the opportunity.  It sounds like you could be a good role model/mentor for this mother.  It seems like she might need some help with her parenting.  I would just try to be a friend.  She will just get mad if you call DCF (which is overloaded with more severe cases than this no doubt so they won't really do anything)  At least if she trusts you, you will be able to help her kids out as a friend.  Good luck!

Answer 3

This is really none of your business.

There are kids whose parents have plenty of money and they eat mainly chips and sodas.

Of course the mother is going to blow you off - you are embarrassing her terribly.

If you are very concerned, get a group of caring people together to provide groceries for this family.

Now that you have edited your question to include details about the woman's finances, I would say...mind your own business.

Answer 4

Maybe the kids like them.

If thats ALL they eat its wrong.

But do you know?

Answer 5

Leave her alone . The DCF may take her children and it is know children develop best with their mom & parents . Maybe she doesn't have enough money to buy enough food . Or maybe she is not educated to know enough about nutrition .Why don't you bring them some nutritious food now and then and/or teach the mother how to feed them instead to call the DCF ?

Answer 6

I knew a mother that would only feed her son buttered rolls and buttered spaghetti noodles. because according to her- it was the only thing he liked.

Well, I don't like to tell people what to feed their children but when he was at my home I put plates of fruits and veggies out. My kids would eat it- so eventually he would try it. Guess what? We found he loved grapes and carrots and dip, too!

Put plates of nutritious snacks out for the kids to sample when they are with you. Make lists of things they eat at your home and tell the mother "You'll never believe what they discovered they like! I wrote it down so you can buy it next time you're out."

If you visit and see she is doing NOTHING to help the situation, you may have to make that dreadful call.

Answer 7

call government welfare see if they can help

Answer 8

call social services, or the kids wont grow up healthy

Answer 9

It sounds like that's what they want to eat their was a time when my son ONLY ate peanut butter sandwiches and it was very depressing for me because I had pack a few sandwiches to go.  If her kids are healthy let it go, God takes care of fools and babies, don't be a snitch if the kids aren't complaining neither should you.

Answer 10

is she being a "good" parent otherwise....children well behaved,clean,seem happy,no abuse......then why call child services....seriously.....I understand and agree with you that eating like that is bad and they should eat healthier but have you ever been on welfare...up here(canada) we don't get food stamps and after all the bills and rent is paid some have maybe 30$ left for the month and rely on food banks.....so she may be just doing that....even if she is taught about healthy food choices its hard to do.......they want a lot for there money.......you get more out of buying a big bag of chips then a head of lettuce....more little cakes then a bag of apples....more in a big bottle of pop then a gallon of milk  we shouldn't only educate on how to shop for healthy foods but educate the government on making healthy food cheaper......when you are hungry you don't think of eating healthy you just want to eat and get the most of it and junk is cheaper......it is important for me to eat healthy so I prioritize that because I can.....

ohhhhh by the way are you sure she refuses to work.....I am on welfare with a 3 and 6 year-old single parent......I want to work but I can't find daycare for afterhours because what I studied in is rotating hours....and after doing all the calculations its better to stay on it then being on a minumin wage job that is demening and no health coverage(its not all free up here)......but since I hate staying home I spend my time volenteering at a local community center....

so the best thing is to provide the child when they are at your house healthy food and you can also help the mother(if she accepts) and if you can afford it.....its much better then calling child services.....

Answer 11

The health department and the WIC(women,infants and children) program may be able to help! I would be surprised if she is not enrolled in the program.... But they give families who qualify food vouchers for milk, eggs, cereal, tuna, etc.,... as part of the service they periodically give you a 'nutritional education'... very short and simple. They also check the childrens weight, age, height, and a blood test to check their iron levels. They may be able to assist this familiy by re-educating them and also if the children were at all malnurished they would play a good role in the wellfare of the children.... It's very sad. It sounds like the mother eats all the good stuff and feeds the children her crumbs! If the children just are stubborn and simply refuse to eat good nutritional foods then I blame the mother! It's nothing but laziness not to feed and tend to your children to promote a good, healthy life!