Christmas Day: Why to not make children clear their plate

It is a common power struggle come Christmas Day at dinner. This is a common time for children to refuse to eat past a certain point. However, the fact of the matter is that children refuse to eat because they are full, and can't eat any more.

The Greek root word denoting parental entitlement is πλεονέκτης (Latin: pleonektés) and is defined as, officially speaking, wanting things from children, to the point of imposition. Unofficially speaking, parental entitlement is an adult losing their cool when they don't get what they feel that they deserve from children. One reason why parents lose their cool was when they don't get the praise they feel deserving of in the form of a clean plate. In fact, any parent anger towards a child was deemed parental entitlement in the Early Church, including calling children out on "sin". When this entitlement on the part of parents was perceived by a child as offensive or damaging, it was deemed child abuse. See also Colossians 3:21 KJV:

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers to damages or offenses, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement. This commandment was intended by the Apostle Paul, and was understood in its original context as a moral statute prohibiting all forms of punitive parenting, including, but not limited to, any punishments, reprimands, or other controlling demeanor towards children. In the Early Christian context, there never was a recorded instance of parents making demands for children to eat everything on their plate. However, if this happened, it would have been seen as offenses or damages, thus child abuse. Paul here was convicting a group of Greek Christian parents who brought their pagan custom of spanking and punishing their children into the church. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punishment in his secular writings. Paul may not have gotten along with the women of the church, but he sure loved children, and even took in a few orphaned children during his time as a deacon.

Children cannot be expected to clear their plates. Any time a parent loses their cool when their child isn't eating enough, they are entitled. Whenever the child perceived the demands as offensive, it was seen as child abuse. 

The usual setup at Christmas dinner is when an adult says "you can't leave the table before you finish your food". Usually, the adult was angry, and felt that they deserved appreciation and praise in the form of children eating everything that is on their plate. Parents are to expect absolutely nothing from children in return for cooking a good meal. In most cases, children are grateful, but have a smaller appetite.

Whenever you make your child clear their plate, you set them up for being overweight or obese later in life. Most obesity in this country is due to children being forced to overeat as a child. This is a nasty habit to get your child into.

If you want your child to eat everything on their plate, the idea is to give children smaller portion sizes. Children should not be eating adult-sized plates of food. Children usually don't eat everything on their plate because they are full, and literally can't eat anymore.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be cast forever into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which was the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torment, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!