Food Sharing with Kid

No - you're not a bad person! I'm totally the same way. Even if I was going to finish a sandwich or something, I would cut off the part they ate from! One time we were out hiking, the kids were like 4 and 6 yrs old. I had taken snacks with us and one really large sport bottle of water in my backpack. We sat down by the lake shore we were hiking around and had snacks - some apples and crackers. As we ate, we passed around the water bottle. When I was almost about to take a drink, I looked at the water in the bottle - with the bright sunshine that day, you could see everything. The water bottle was filled with a confetti of chewed food back wash!!!! So gross! And I was thirsty too! From that day on we always carry 3 water bottles. I will only share water from one of those with the spout top so stuff can't really go back in!!! I know they are my kids and I love them to death, but I'm not a big fan of sharing spit!

I don't think you're a bad person. I tend not to share much off my daughter's plate but give her some of mine. She generally has her own cup/plate/bowl/utensils and most of the time she eats off her own. I also don't tend to drink after her because, frankly, little kids backwash. Ew. If she doesn't finish, if it's worth saving I put it in tupperware. Then SHE gets it later.

I wouldn't fault you for not wanting to eat your child's leftovers, but if you're so concerned about the amount of germs on her hands, why let HER eat with them? I guess I don't understand why you're not making sure she washes her hands thoroughly before eating, or at the very least helping her use a wipe or hand sanitizer in a pinch. If my child's hands were dirty or germy enough that I wouldn't want to eat something she touched, I wouldn't want her to eat it either.

I dont think that makes you a bad person at all. I am not like this but we all have things that "bother "us . Thats yours no biggie.

I had to laugh at this one - I feel the same way! My hubby shares EVERYTHING with our 3 year old and it grosses me out to no end - for all of the reasons you listed!!! Plus think of it this way, that food she didn't eat might end up in the trash or to the dog but at least those extra calories aren't going on your waistline!

I have a strict don't eat after the kids policy. I couldn't help but notice the times I would fall sick from eating after them. Sick with a cold not anything else but isn't that bad enough? So I try to make certain they can have enough food for them to finish. If they don't finish it and it is enough to put up I put it up for them to eat later or the next day. If it isn't I just toss it but I don't feel guilty for not finishing their food or not eating after them.

My daughter's never been a messy (slobbery) eater - so I've never had any issues of eating her left overs if they were something I wanted. She and I share a drink all the time and such. *shrug* Some people are more OCD and germaphobic than I am, and I'm a Nurse.

I have never been able to finish my kids food, what they dont eat usually goes to the dogs or the trash. The thought of cleaning off their plates really just grossed me out. I share french fries and veggie sticks now but they are 8 and 14 not quite so icky.

Absolutely the same little kids are kinda gross, I will share with my hubby or 19 yr old daughter,

Make you a Bad person, are you kidding,.... ?? Seriously , no, it does not. My father is in his 70's and to this day will not eat or drink after a kid, especially if he knows they aren't as concerned about germs as he is (has to be for health reasons). It would gross me out if I ate after a kid put their hands in their food, or picked their nose after they washed their hands, etc,... etc.... C. S.

Yes, I don't share. I also don't let my twins share a cup, or a water bottle or fork or plates. I didn't do this from the get go and if one got sick, we all got sick. well that had to stop. I was sick constantly. Now we don't share anything.

Absolutely the same. I didn't eat someone else's leftovers before I had a kid, so why would I now. And just about the grossest thing in the world is soggy cheerios.

Nothing wrong with that at all! It makes sense, based on your observation of her behavior and food. I rarely eat my kiddo's leftovers for the same reasons (I hadn't really thought of it before). But from a weight gain standpoint, you're better off not finishing off their food either - who needs the extra calories? :)

No, I don't eat after my kids either, why would anyone want too? Some kids eat way grosser than others even. I just give my kids little helpings at a time so they don't waste food.Unless they have like a chicken nugget or something on their plate that hasn't gotten slobbery, then I would eat it!

I don't feel comfortable eating or drinking after anyone, child or adult. I know the children are mine and husband and I swap fluids but I just don't care to share food or drinks. I have never thought this makes me a bad person and I certainly don't think it makes you one.

I'm not germ-phobic, but I didn't usually eat what my kids left when they were that age. That's the dog's job! :-)

Seriously for a moment - if it's not your thing, don't do it, and don't feel guilty about it. If you're concerned about wasting food, then save whatever she leaves that can be reheated in the microwave. If she stopped eating because she was full (or just done sitting still), you can always put it in front of her the next time she says she's hungry. If, on the other hand, she didn't eat it because she didn't like it, you will need to decide whether that is a battle worth fighting.

Certainly doesn't make you a bad person or even odd, really. I always think about that especially with my littler kids, I have just sort of gotten over it. But there really is no reason that you need to change this, just give her her own portion or peices when sharing like you do...

I feel the same. I don't like my food slightly spitty and predigested before I eat it. Blech! I'll eat the rest of a sandwich she was working on but I draw the line at drinks or soups. Too much of what goes into her mouth ends up back in the bowl or cup for me to feel comfortable with it.

I think that we assume that when we become parents, we will find all of that kind of stuff endearing but the truth is, I don't like it when anyone has their hands all over food that I eat. All parents give a lot for their children and we all have our own threshold of what grosses us out and what doesn't. Don't be so hard on yourself. What is gross to you is normal to someone else and vice versa.

Yuck! I've never eaten my daughter's left-overs and she wasn't a man-handler most of the time either. She's older now but we have a general rule of not eating/drinking from others' cups or utensils. My husband and I might take a drink from the same cup once in a while, but that's about it. The truth is that you don't know when someone is going to wake up sick tomorrow. So many colds/virus things can be avoided if we don't share everything.

You could be describing me! The one that I REALLY can't stand is ice cream. They get it all over their hands and face and then they get down to the cone part and don't want it and no way am I even TOUCHING that thing. I'll grab it with a napkin and toss it. My husband will eat it...I don't know how he does it.

I totally agree with you. I don't like to share food with anybody; it just grosses me out. I have a friend who feels the same way so you are not alone. And, everything I read about how to avoid colds/flu stresses the importance of not sharing drinks and/or utensils.

Eating food after a four-year-old has manhandled it CREEPS ME OUT!

And if I am a bad person, it is for other reasons, not that one.