Better than this is to have the sibling be the one to “ohh” and “aww” over the meal. After all, older siblings are our little one’s “idols”.

My 3 yr. old is very picky but he will eat if his older brothers (all teenagers) make a big deal out of it. The excitement he sees from his big brothers taking a bite is usually enough to get him to take a bite. And when he takes so many bites (let’s say 5) we make a big deal out of it - clapping, “yay!”, etc.

Make dinner fun - older siblings may think it is “dorkish” but they will see that they are helping in the end. Before dinner sit the older siblings down and explain the situation, encourage them to make it a big deal and tell them that the little one looks up to them. Usually they will go along with the “dorkish” behavior if explained why. :)

For those concerned about religion, the truth is, it really isn’t about them or their church.

Thanks for the comment.

@Anonymous: Your comments were deleted because they are argumentative. Akismet also found that they are spam and I have to agree with that nice little plugin. They don’t add to the conversation and they certainly don’t prove any point.

I displayed for you RIGHTS afforded by the government. To think that social security, for example, is a privilege not a right is way beyond me.

Your last comment on this subject was approved because I think it’s the final straw to show your ignorance on the subject of the government.

I agree with you about not giving in. For me, it must be the hardest part of it all. And I like your suggestions about cooking with your kids. The reason I didn’t think to include it here is because it hasn’t worked for me with Zadey. I had hoped that it would though. Perhaps as she gets older, it might.

Since this is “the last you have to say about it”, I will not try to convince somebody stuck in their ways.

It also sickens me that people have such strong issues on this subject - in my opinion, I don’t care what your religion or sexual orientation is - if you are a good person, you deserve to be treated with equality and respect. I for one have gay friends although I am not gay. I also have Catholic and Jewish friends although I am Agnostic.

Bottom line, if two humans love each other, live together, make a happy, caring home for their children, dogs, cats - whatever - they should be allowed the same rights as married couples.

This is good advice and rewards do work - you just have to remember to not give in! Having survived the toddler years with my two kids, I can say that it gets easier around the age of 5 when you can reason more with them. Also, I find if I include my kids in grocery shopping and cooking, they will eat what we make. So, even though it can be time consuming, I make a point to include them whenever possible.

I find it difficult to believe that you’re on the side of “for gay marriage,” and continue to be very argumentative with me on what I strongly believe is a misreading and interpretation by of you not only my post but what is afforded to those who have the ability to purchase a marriage license.

Regardless of what you think, this IS about the recognition of the government and the RIGHTS that are given to straight people who can purchase a marriage license.

Social Security, for example, is NOT a privilege. What world do you live in that the government just hands out social security without you paying it? Consequently, since I am and will continue to be a stay at home Mother with a lesbian partner, I will have NO social security. If social security was a “PRIVILEGE,” as you state — it would be given to me. Should my partner die before I do, I will not have any RIGHTS to her social security.

Additionally, the following items cannot be given to ANY couple that is not married:

- Filing joint income tax returns with the IRS and state taxing authorities.

- Creating a “family partnership” under federal tax laws, which allows you to divide business income among family members.

- Inheriting a share of your spouse’s estate.

- Receiving an exemption from both estate taxes and gift taxes for all property you give or leave to your spouse.

- Creating life estate trusts that are restricted to married couples, including QTIP trusts, QDOT trusts, and marital deduction trusts.

- Obtaining priority if a conservator needs to be appointed for your spouse — that is, someone to make financial and/or medical decisions on your spouse’s behalf.

- Receiving Social Security, Medicare, and disability benefits for spouses.

- Receiving veterans’ and military benefits for spouses, such as those for education, medical care, or special loans.

- Receiving public assistance benefits.

And this list continues on and varies from state to state. But each item listed here is clearly NOT a privilege but RIGHTS afforded by the government to those who can legally marry.

It isn’t just about heading out and having a ceremony. Sure, we could do that, but what rights does that give my partner for me or vise versa? Let me answer it for you, NONE. In this case, marriage really is all about that little piece of paper. It IS that piece of paper that allows the government to hand down RIGHTS to married couples.

In reference to the church in my bedroom, didn’t you hear about the mass funding by the LDS (Mormon) church against Prop 8 in California? If that’s not metaphorically a church in my bedroom, what is?

The fight, in my opinion, should not be about the title — marriage or civil unions. It should be the RIGHTS that are given to couples who wish to enter into the current state of “marriage.” The GLBT community should first fight for the RIGHTS that come with marriage, regardless of the title the government wishes to give the union and then fight for the title. Given what I have not only heard but read, many polls suggest that more people are willing to give gay and lesbian couples a civil union if they do not have to call it marriage. I am for that while most of the activists within the gay and lesbian community are not.

This is the last I have to say about it. Contradictory opinions on my blog are more than welcome. However, yours have become rude coupled with your anonymity that make me wonder, what are you hiding behind? I’m in the open, it doesn’t seem as though you can dare to do that and have your opinions match your face.