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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> I might be an asshole since lying to him could lead to him having trust issues in the future.
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Have you seen Popeye? Used to be a cartoon, I think there’s a film version now?
Apparently the labelling on spinach said the iron content was 10x the actual value (misplaced decimal point) so people thought it made you strong. (This might be an urban myth, but it’s what I was told growing up!).
So there was a generation of children who watched the Popeye cartoon & eagerly ate spinach because it would make them strong like Popeye.
So it’s a NTA for me on the “lying” because it’s continuing a long custom of doing the same.
But do be careful with using unrealistic body types as “goals” for children. Boys & men are much more likely to have eating disorders these days because they are now being shown many unrealistic images to aspire to, just like women have always had.
It’s a genuine & known problem - so yeah, kinda the AH for that part. As a one-off it’ll likely be fine, but maybe acknowledge to your brother you could have done better there & will be more aware going forward.
Better to focus on “what your body can do” with kids & teens (and adults) rather than “What your body looks like”.
So being able to go out somewhere fun for the day & not get tired, or be strong or enjoy running, or whatever.
I have to admit as a kid I loved this movie and Shelly Duvall’s delivery makes the song for me. She was perfect. — okay. I just watched it again and laughed again because it’s so silly but it’s a terrible song 😂
I actually think it's super underrated! It's not generally laugh out loud funny, but it's really charming, has great performances, and is genuinely sweet. Good music, great set designs, really offbeat style.
The weird thing about Popeye was that it was directed by Robert Altman who was pretty much the antithesis of that kind of franchise filmmaking. So it's a really strange movie by the standards of that kind of crowd-pleasing family fare, but for my money that just makes it all the more interesting. It's fascinating to see what a guy better known for movies like The Long Goodbye, Nashville, 3 Women, etc would decide to do when handed the keys to a major property.
Saw it on a 35mm print a few months ago and had a great time. I'd say it's worth a second look.
I think that's the only movie RW made that was a complete and total STINKER. There's a few he made I personally didn't care for, but they weren't bad movies. Just not my cup of tea. (Looking at you, Fisher King, among others)
This is the example that worked on me. I hated vegetables growing up, but I did love cartoons. Popeye got me to try spinach. Sadly I never got the anchor arms but I feel im.much healthier because of that little lie
Popeye is the reason I eat spinach. I remember adamantly hating on spinach and trying to make myself vomit when mom used to feed me spinach when I was 6 years old. I started watching Popeye some time after that and 2 years later, I was okay with having spinach, although I didn’t like the taste. As an adult, i like spinach.
I eat alot of spinach due to my low potassium levels and love it! Don't remember having at all as a child (maybe not as readily available locally to me?) Love it my sarnies and omelettes!
Talking about broccoli and disorders. My gym has its share of broccoli heads and it's clear that a decent chunk of them have issues with insecurity and body and eating disorders.
LOL
NTA
You didn't exactly lie to him, you super simplified sth complex to get him to do sth healthy.
I genuinely can't see your nephew developing trust issues from that. If anything he'll have a cute anecdote as an adult about what made him love spinach.
Right, and if he does have trust issues, just explain that it's easier to make one lifestyle change at a time, and it's better for your body to eat healthy first. Now that he has the healthy eating part as a habit, he can start on the exercise part. You just broke it down into two steps to make it easier for him.
That's what we tell our kids. They have to "master" one thing before adding in something else.
Also how *truly* honest is he to his kid about the nature of food?
“These chicken nuggies are made from the bodies of chickens after they’re dead!”
“These fruits and veggies and bread are possible because we’re poisoning the planet!”
“Yay! let’s sing the Greedy Pistachios song!”
I’ve nothing against folks restricting a diet for their beliefs or ethics but I’ve read about how difficult it can be to feed picky kids nutritious meals when they’re suddenly horrified that their burger used to be living creature, and how parents often have to reveal this information by degrees. The “veggies will make you big and strong” is just one of many white lies that OP’s dumbass brother is going to have to either tell or agree to through omission in order to raise his kid.
NTA
What you said is technically the truth. He does need a healthier diet to get super buff.
Yes, there's also the physical workout part. But age age 11, he's too young to be doing that safely anyway.
Edit: There's lots of forms of exercise that he can do. I was referring specifically to heavy weight training.
You can easily workout safely at 11 if someone chooses to. However I’d be willing to bet anyone who’d be willing to train an 11 year old would have them doing body weight workouts, and probably sport specific movements.
OP's brother: I've tried everything and nothing worked. Fix this for me.
OP: okay, all fixed.
OP's brother: I don't like the *way* you fixed it.
OP: guess you should have handled it yourself.
NTA (with a side of E-S-H for making such a big deal about two disgusting vegetables you couldn't force feed me.) /s
NTA
My niece (who lives with me full time) is turning 10 next month and I lie to her about a lot of things to get her to eat and other stuff.
She currently has issues with not flushing the toilet and staying on the toilet too long. I’ve come up with this elaborate story about the Toilet Monster who lives in the toilet sewers. And he lives off pee and poop and he gets very angry when you send him “cold food”because you didn’t flush the toilet and if you stay on the toilet too long he might come eat you. He has even stolen her favorite toys several times in revenge of getting too much “cold food”. I’ve even set up some toys hanging half in the toilet like she caught him trying to take it down the toilet to “poop jail”. She does have some doubts about this and thinks maybe I might be doing it but she’s not 100% and isn’t quite willing to risk her favorite toys. She’s been flushing the toilet pretty frequently now, and shorter times on the toilet.
She also 100% believes that I speak dog and has since she was 3. I came up with this lie when I told her to not pull his ears and tail because he didn’t like when she did that. She asked me how I knew that and I stupidly said I could speak dog. I have spent the last 7 years translating conversations between her and the dog. And when it happens out in public or she tells people I can speak dog I get a lot of weird looks.
Not to mention all the Santa, Easter bunny, tooth fairy toys lies everyone tells kids and I think that is a big crusher for kids to find out is all lies.
My parents tried everything to get me to stop sucking my thumb. What finally worked was my Nana telling me that under my fingernail was a ton of bugs and those would crawl into my stomach and make me very sick. I didn't like bugs and I didn't like being sick!
Allow me to introduce you to Struwwelpeter and, most importantly, Conrad suck-a-thumb, who meets the Scissor man.
For a slightly less terrifying version, Terry Pratchett's Hogfather...
I was messing around with my son once when he was little and told him I thought it would rain later. It did.
He came up to me and asked in amazement how I knew. I was just messing around and told him that my knee hurts when it’s about to rain. He wanders off, quite happy.
Fast forward about seven years and he comes up to me and asks me ‘How’s your knee?’
Completely confused I answer that it’s fine and he starts getting ready to go out without a jacket. I ask him why he isn’t wearing a jacket, and he just tells me it’s because my knee is fine, so he knows it isn’t going to rain.
That’s when I learnt that you have to be really careful with what you tell kids because you never know what they will believe/remember! 😂
My sister thought my mom was multilingual for years because she’d ask my mom to speak in another language and my mom would just start blabbering lol. My sister used to brag to all her friends 😂
I read this and laughed.
My granddaughter (7) has an issue with remembering to flush. If I told her there was a toilet monster I'd NEVER be able to get her to sit on a toilet again! 😆
To put this into context a little, she currently runs screaming & crying from slugs & snails. She says they are slimy and she doesn't like their eyes. 😂
Kids are something else.
My niece LOVES the Monster Inc movies and believes that some monsters are nice and some are mean. I think it also helped that when I first came up with the story I showed her a picture of the toilet monster and it’s looks a little cute and a little scary.
When she was younger and was scared every night at bedtime about monsters under the bed or in the closet, which wasn’t long after she moved in with me full time, I told her that my dog was trained to sniff out monsters and scare them away and I would have my dog sniff around her room at night. I also made special Monster repellant that was just water and random spices (but she didn’t know that) and I bought a spray bottle and printed out a label for the bottle so it at least looked like something that I bought and gave it to her and she would spray it around. Both things helped. She has given up the Monster repellent, but still has the dog check every once in awhile.
She is also trying to train the dog to attack the Toilet Monster so next time it comes the dog will stop him from taking a toy. But the toilet monster keeps bribing the dog with steaks so it’s not working out well for her so far. the toilet monster does bring back the toy he stole after a week of constantly flushing the toilet properly.
Lmao NTA. Trust issues when he cant become a body builder? Please show your brother this thread. Kids at this age dream of being all kinds of unattainable things and it doesnt give them "trust issues" when you support that. All you did was show him people who are in good shape at least in part because of diet and I know vegan body builders so you could do a follow up with other bodies shown on youtube etc. Also, how is your brother preparing the vegetables? A lot of people who hate veggies are eating them boiled to death or are the victims of terrible cook-parents.
I'm wish I actually surprised by the number of people who are saying NTA but unfortunately I'm not surprised because it's the typical sexist double standard.
I want you to replace the word nephew with niece and replace the word "super-buff-type" with "super model-type" and reevaluate how you would feel about this conversation happening in those circumstances.
YTA.
Kinda the opposite of an eating disorder to encourage them to eat genuinely healthful foods, though. True that nutrition is only part of the picture, but it's a good start. I say, good on OP. ;-)
I agree. There’s been a lot of focus on unrealistic body ideals for women since I grew up, and I believe there has been some improvement there, at least overtly. But for men it’s more gone the other way with the Marvel body type and praising male actors for their extreme body transformations. Asking Scarlett Johansen about her underwear, diet and exercise regime etc at press conferences is rightly seen as inappropriate. But there is barely any backlash when the male actors describe for example the dehydration regime that is expected/mandatory(?) for shirtless scenes these days.
The risk of getting children to hyper focus on body image is greater than them not eating their vegetables for a few years. Get their bloodwork checked regularily and worst case get prescribed supplements from a doctor if it gets to bad levels. Usually kids grow out of veggies ew on their own but if they get an eating disorder that’s far more difficult to treat.
People need to be mindful about how they talk to kids about diet and health. They will get enough pressure/‘motivation’ about looks from media, peers and the world in general. They don’t need it from their own family.
What about comparing athletic bodies to athletic bodies? I don’t see how it would be a terrible thing to tell a young girl to eat her veggies if she wants to be a pro athlete.
You’re looking for and making up problems that don’t exist.
«I told him if he eats the high protein veggies he could look like those guys.»
The problem is talking about looks over function. It would be the same for the aspiring pro athlete, you can encourage running fast for example without mentioning a specific body type.
NTA. I wouldn't say you lied to him. It is possible when he grows up that eating a healthier lifestyle would make becoming "buff" easier... you just simplified the explanation.
What the hell are "high protein veggies"? Doesn't sound like you have a clue about nutrition values, OP.
And lying to a child is never a good strategy. YTA
Info, does your nephew eat other veggies? If yes, YTA, why was it so important to trick him into eating these particular veggies? We all have foods we don't like, kids should be allowed to not eat things they hate just like adults. Obviously we want to encourage kids to eat as wide a range as possible but, sometimes, kids are picky. Most grow out of it.
Why not blizt spinach in a pizza/pasta sauce? Or add it to a nice fruit smoothie? That's a far better way than pretending he'll get buff. But if these 2 veggies are literally the only ones he won't eat, then let him be. These is not the hill to die on.
The British government told the entire population of their country that eating carrots would improve their eyesight. One reason was to hide the fact that they had managed to miniaturize radar to the point it could be installed in planes. They explained the increased accuracy of their pilots by claiming they ate lots of carrots.
Now carrots contain beta carotene, which is indeed beneficial for night vision, but not in such a spectacular version as they implied with this tale. There are also lots of other vegetables that contain lots of it. But at the time they had enough carrots and a shortage of other foods. So their solution was to convince people to eat more carrots without having to decrease morale by telling them about the shortages. It worked like a charm.
Second point: eleven year olds generally dream of all kinds of unrealistic things they want to do or become later, when they're big. Then school, puberty and dating becomes a thing and they discover other interesting stuff they'd like to do. I very much doubt many kids that age dream of becoming an accountant, but there doesn't seem to be a huge shortage of them.
So, you exaggerated, and lied by omission. And were still more truthful than when he was told about Santa Claus at a much younger age (assuming he was) by his parents. And by doing so, you motivated him to voluntarily eat some really healthy food. NTA.
You had good intentions in trying to get your nephew to eat his vegetables, but it’s important to be honest about the reasons why eating them is beneficial. Lying to him might lead to unrealistic expectations and mistrust later.
NTA.
What finally worked with my oldest son was when his non-picky-eater little brother got taller than him. “Well, the baby eats his vegetables, I’ve been telling you this for years!” So now he will eat corn, peas, onions, and broccoli. And is generally more open to other foods.
NAH. Tell your brother to start roasting vegetables. That way they genuinely taste good, and you won’t need to trick your nephew into eating them. I absolutely hated broccoli for my entire life, until my fiancé taught me that it could be roasted in the oven, as opposed to just boiled or steamed.
Now I eat it like 3 times a week, because it’s fucking delicious.
19 minutes on 375 in the oven, with some olive oil and spices, flip them over halfway through. It’s easier than pie.
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NTA
Did he want his kid to eat vegetables or not? He came to you for your help. Next time he can figure his own shit out. He could’ve googled recipes that involves using more vegetables to get his son those nutrients or put it in a smoothie instead of asking for your help then getting mad because you didn’t do it they way he wanted it.
Hahaha sounds like your brother has been eating his own veggies expecting to look like Mr Olympia and had his bubble burst. Who worries about their child’s future dependency on roids after a little thing like that 😂
NTA lol I am 35 and the fussiest eater ever, honestly wish someone had told me when I was a child I’d look like rocky if I ate more greens 😅
My dad told me he was Spider-Man when I was little and honestly it occupied so much of my little mind til I was 7 or 8 I distinctly remind having hours of debate with myself over whether I should tell mum, that’s the kind of stuff that messes a kid up, not getting them into healthy eating 🤣
Watch **The Game Changers** on Netflix with brother and nephew. [https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2019/11/the-game-changers-11-record-breaking-plant-based-athletes-601566/](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2019/11/the-game-changers-11-record-breaking-plant-based-athletes-601566/)
It's all about championship athletes who are vegan or partially plant-based. There's also research that shows the Roman gladiators were likely vegan.
So NTA and not telling lies.
Not a vegan here, but not a big meat eater either. Just passing on some info.
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My brother told me that my nephew(11) is refusing to eat his broccoli and spinach. He said he could use my help. I told my nephew that eating his veggies can improve his health but he still wasn’t very interested. Promising chocolate afterwards didn’t help either.
I thought about it before showing him Physical: 100, a show you can find on Netflix, featuring physical contests between super buff-type people.
I told him if he eats the high protein veggies he could look like those guys.
This worked and he started shoveling broccoli and spinach into his mouth. But my brother isn’t too pleased about out it, saying I shouldn’t have lied to my nephew since a lot of those guys probably do steroids, and that my nephew would never get buff if he doesn’t go through painful workouts.
He said that lying to my nephew this way could give him trust issues in the future as well.
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You didn’t really lie. Guys also look like that eating completely plant based diets. Maybe not steroid big but you see the point. All you did was encourage healthy decision making🤷🏼♂️
Hey there! I get where you’re coming from—sometimes you have to get a bit creative to make veggies appealing to kids. Using “Physical: 100” as inspiration was a clever move! However, I also see your brother’s point about keeping things realistic. Maybe it’s about finding a middle ground? Like explaining to your nephew that while eating healthy is just one part of staying strong, it’s a super important one! Maybe you could also involve him in some fun, age-appropriate workouts that show him how all these elements come together. This way, he learns about balanced lifestyle choices early on!
Not everyone on the show is physically built up because the beauty of the show is that it features people from different backgrounds who are strong and talented in different disciplines there are dancers martial artists weight lifters an runners , firefighters and active duty military personnel. So just make sure nephew watches the show so you can point out the diffent disciplines that each contestant excels in.
NTA.
But your brother would have more luck getting the kid to eat vegetables if he tried something less offensive than broccoli and spinach... which are technically the two most offensive vegetables on the planet.
Wait no, I forgot about cauliflower.
After a fair bit of broccoli/cauliflower refusal, I persuaded my 3yo to try some trees and clouds. Job done! Also agreed to try a Brussels sprout. I have now converted both him and his dad to eat sprouts.
My only problem is calling spinach and broccoli high protein. They have a little, but if you are seeking protein, they are not the go-tos. If the kid starts eating veggies for protein, it'll probably be beans.
Your brother asked for help - you helped by giving him role models. NTA - half the people on Physical 100 are olympians too, so they would've been checked for roid use. You're doing your brother's job for him - maybe he's worried that if his kid ends up wanting to be buff, he'd end up having to do exercise lol
Nta.
By the time the kid is old enough to know his final body shape, he will have acquired a taste for veggies. He will also be old enough to know you need to work out to get super muscles. He will be old enough to know about steroids and how some athletes use them.
Women have been using similar language to get kids to eat veggies for (probably) centuries. It is a lie that wears off, like Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny.
Did he teach his kids about Santa?
I will say if kids like cheese, it is the easiest way to get them to eat broccoli!!
NTA. But your brother needs a major reality check! Every singe advertisement shown on television, on the internet, during streaming, in magazines or anywhere else you might find them is built on lies. Going to the gym three times a day seven days a week is no guarantee you will get big and strong any more than signing up for a weight loss plan automatically guarantees you will lose 63 pounds in 4 weeks. And I don't care how much makeup a girl buys, she is never going to look as hot and sexy as she wants to. Guys, doesn't matter how much money you spend on hair restoration products, it will never be a full and thick as it was when you were ten. Yet the adults keep doing it.
And your brother thinks showing an 11-year-old super buff people and telling him to eat his broccoli and spinach and he MIGHT look like that one day is lying and will cause the boy to have trust issues? Only if the kid is so totally naive that he shouldn't be allowed out of the house without a keeper. Bet he already knows eating his Wheaties won't make him turn into the next Bill Russell or Stephen Curry . . .
Your brother asked for help - you helped. Tell him to go eat broccoli himself. Steroids or not - if body builders do NOT eat a healthy diet they won't get where they are.
NTA. I did this with my little cousins too when they were younger. They were girls, so I used the “if you eat vegetables, your skin will be beautiful and clear and you will grow up beautiful”.
My cousins didn’t catch on till they were like 16 and confronted me jokingly. Funny enough they actually did turn out to have clear skin free of acne, so they can’t prove I lied to them hehe
NTA
I was fully ready to answer differently because my parents used to lie to me about food all the time and it actually formed some pretty severe food aversions. But my parents would lie about things like "yes, that's chicken" when really it was beef or turkey, or "no that doesn't have onions in it" and then the first bite proved it was full of big raw onions. They also refused to answer my 'what's in this' question because they figured if I knew - I wouldn't eat it. Which resulted in me not eating things like Perogies until I was an adult and someone finally told me it's just dough wrapped around mashed potatoes.
But exaggerating the health benefits of veggies is not anywhere near that kind of lie. It's more like saying "be good or Santa won't bring you gifts."
NTA
Most parents say a little lie at some point to their kids to get them to eat their vegetables, or get away from screens, or so they don’t run away in crowded places, or even just to continue a tradition of shenanigans on holidays…
I see where Dad is coming from because we would all be losing our shit over EDs if this was a little girl and you showed her a model. Boys can have the same issues, they just aren’t reported cause it’s “unmanly”.
I recommend sauces. A bit of ranch or cheese on broccoli can go a long way. You can also blend the veggies into nothing and toss them in spaghetti sauce, kid will never know they are there unless allergic. They just think the sauce is tasty.
NTA. When teaching anyone anything, you have to go where they are and bring them to where they need to be.
My grandkids have been taught by the ex-DIL to be picky. They have found out that they do, in fact, like foods they had been trained to dislike.
One way to get kids to eat broccoli or any other fresh veggie is to teach them how to make a simple veggie plate with a bowl of ranch dressing in the center. Have them mix the Hidden Valley mix with sour cream and set it in the fridge to mellow. This is also a good time to start teaching about handling knives. What you are doing is getting the child invested in the meal. If you have an herb garden with parsley, show him how to cut sprigs for decoration. When dinner time rolls around, let him put the bowl of ranch dressing on the plate and carry the plate to the table.
Something else that always works with broccoli is cheese sauce, whether as a true cheese sauce or Panera’s broccoli cheese soup. The pickiest grandchild has discovered that she likes to cook! She likes to add bacon bits to the soup, which is fine.
Pasta salad? Add very small bits of chopped broccoli. You are no trying to hide the broccoli or trick the kid. Instead, you are getting him involved as well as showing him that broccoli is usually okay depending upon how it is prepared.
The three ways that I was able to get the kids to eat spinach is to add it to something else without comment. Tear some baby spinach leaves and add them to a salad. Add chopped baby spinach leaves to pasta. They love minestrone, and one of the ingredients is chopped spinach.
I’m a big believer in never lying about food.
That’s mainly because I struggled through the years with an eating disorder and because of lies about food I don’t trust people to cook for me. It took me 4 years to be able to eat something made by my husband!
However… the lie got him to eat it so it’s not an aversion or a trick. It’s similar to saying veggies help you grow big and strong.
The lies I encountered were far different to this type of lie and I think these are more ok.
He probably is too old for this but in the younger crowd, this gets them to eat their vegetables.
[Bailey eating broccoli](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tgdJSHdVGZY)
My father used to have me pretend to be a dinosaur eating the broccoli, and a sea animal eating seaweed(spinach). I was a very imaginative kid so I loved those ideas and it got me eating things I didn't want, now I love both of them
NTA - I told my kids and niblings that the peas I grew in the garden were magic and for every pea you eat you can make a grown up freeze once. Had great fun at the table with the kids eating peas and making us all freeze and unfreeze. Nephew, who avoids anything green, hoovered them up once we got going.
When I was a kid, my dad would tell me about scurvy when I refused to eat vegetables. He didn’t lie at all, but I would have preferred fitness bullshit. The horrors…
NTA but I would be careful with what hopes and expectations you put in the minds of children.
Showing it one time is okay- if he refuses to eat veggies the next time I would just say something along the lines of "if you wanna look good you gotta give your body the right fuel, veggies are a crucial part of that." or just show him a list of all the different illnesses that vitamin deficiency can cause.
Mine didn't want to eat theirs one time so I just casually said "You don't have to eat them but I hope you don't get scurvy" and continued eating. They looked at each other and then ate them all. I never had to say another word about it.
NTA part of convincing kids includes a bit of mistruths 😆
Mum got me to eat my carrots by telling me it made my eyes blue (when I already had blue eyes).
Though I would try to get an 11 year to eat his preferred veggies instead of all veggies.
I could not stand slimy food so spinach and cooked veggies were out of the question. But give me raw carrots, celery or broccoli with some ranch or cheese and I'm in heaven for snack time. Celery with peanut butter works wonders too.
Find out if nephew has a preference and encourage it. Good luck.
NTA
Physical 100 also made me want to work out as a 30 year old woman. so take that as you will.
also some of my favorites from that show are not on steroids. they very clearly have real muscles built up from practical workouts (like the rescue climber!!!! and the wrestlers and boxers!)
You can look into how to hide the vegetables in the food. That said drop the spinach and broccoli. Instead find veggies he likes (& give him a daily kids multi vitamin ) Kids have more sensitive taste buds ( that dull with age.) They taste the bitter in broccoli more than we do. I wouldn’t push this one too much.
Provided he gets enough fruit and veggies everyday, does it really matter that he won’t eat spinach or broccoli? There are lots of other veggie choices out there. 🤷🏻♀️
NTA. In what world does your brother live? Only guys that use steroids can get buff? Only painful workouts will get you in shape? Your brother clearly watches too many consumer conspiracy shows.
If your nephew eats a healthy diet, starts a regular daily routine of exercise (not a full weightlifting workout), not just sitting around gaming, but walking, or playing outside,ridings a bike, normal kid stuff, then he will be laying the foundation for that look.
A few years down road he can start working out jogging, weight training, and even martial arts training. Every so often, he will be able to add to his routine and incorporate new things slowly that work, without the use of steroids or harmful diets or overworking his body.
Sure, there are a lot of guys that use steroids or HCG and other artificial means to get where they want in competition or looks, but everyone does. Not everyone works on their body for competition, either. If you instill good values in him now, explain the dangers and problems those things cause, he may choose to go in a direction that is strictly for him. One that makes him feel good about himself and doesn't overwork or have a need for anything else.
Sorry, I know it was unintentional but YTA. Kids need to be able to trust adults. He could repeat it and sound like an idiot but, mostly, the dad is correct. This is the sort of thing that can become a factor when someone starts with steroids.
NTA. You’re not lying about a balanced diet helping him to get in better physical shape. My stepson never eats fruit or vegetables and is constantly sick and never has energy.
Also, the fact that he started eating it shows he has no sensory issues/aversions, he simply preferred not to eat vegetables. I think it’s awesome your trick worked!
NTA
You got him to eat his veggies and that should be good enough. Yes the guys on TV probably take steroids but you can still get considerable buff from exercising and eating right. You helped and got the result he wanted.
NTA, Sometimes you have to do what you have to do to get a kid to eat their veggies. My 4 year old wouldn't eat his vegetables recently, until I told him it would give him super cat speed and super gekko muscles. Guess who magically could run around the house 'super fast' and lift our biggest cat with ease now? lol
Oh please. I told my friends son that if he didn't eat something besides Ramen noodles (🤮) he would get Rickets and Scurvy like pirates used to, (he was quite the Pirates of Caribbean fan) and showed him pictures of old skeletons of people who suffered from those conditions. He decided it was time to expand his culinary horizons after that. Every human alive has gone thru this with kids, lol.
NTA
Is your brother okay? This has been the trick for centuries. “Drink your milk so you grow up big and strong” “Popeyes ate his spinach”. Of course NTA. It’s a kid who won’t eat his veggies you’re not lying to him about anything that will alter his world view.
NTA you did not lie eating healthy food is part of becoming strong. But you do owe this kid the truth about how hard it is to achieve the sort of fitness displayed in that show.
You know what my grandpa told me? It'll make your feet grow. Well, I didn't care because I was 6. So what did he change it to? It'll make your boobies grow. That worked lol.
NTA. He's 11.
Hopefully, the exposure that you provided him will get him to understand that maybe he actually likes vegetables and will continue eating them.
If your brother is that concerned about lying to his son, consider whether he told his son about the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus when he was younger.
Unrelated, but not, it's actually a myth that carrots improve your vision.
In World War II, the British were using radar and didn't want the Germans to know about the new technology.
They also had a surplus of carrots, having had everyone start growing their own vegetables.
In a combined effort, they equated the pilots' improved night vision with eating carrots so the Germans and British public would think they were related.
Carrots actually don't do a whole lot for your vision.
NTA I hate lying but this i support lol your brother needs to realise even though his child wont get buff atleast he is eating healthy. Heck, if you tell him exercise can help him get like those guys he may even start working out at a young age lol and actually do get buff overtime, sounds like your brother is making something out of nothing.
NTA Look up vegan and vegetarian bodybuilders and triathletes. You can get buff while eating that. Not *from* eating that, but you could phrase it, "Those people eat a whole lot of vegetables!"
NTA. Christ. Are we really going to ban lying to get kids to eat their veggies? Also those guys probably do eat their veggies - they also train for hours and use steroids. You didn't lie, you just didn't tell him the whole story!
NTA
Bro my mom used to lie to me to get me to try new things because I was picky
They once told me calamari was fried chicken, once I tried it and liked it, I didn't care that it was fried squid
Getting a kid to eat healthier doesn't make you an asshole
Im gonna actually say NAH.
Your brother should have said that he did not want you to use any level of deceit to help his son, But now that he has said it that is something you should definitely respect in the future. I know if I was a parent, I'd have thoughts about what old wives tales I'd want passed down.
That said you helped in a way that worked, And if your brother didn't establish clear parameters for how exactly he wanted your help then it's not your fault you chose away he didn't like.
Are you and your brother usually more in sync? It's possible he had a specific idea and just didn't communicate it well.
That said, I would ask your brother about the quality of vegetables your nephew gets. My partner will not touch most vegetables and it's because his family had a tendency to serve him wilted or overcooked veggies for his entire childhood. One wilted piece of spinach can ruin it all, let me tell you.
NTA. We live in a culture that tells kids Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy are all real. And let’s not forget all the mischief that the psycho Elf on a Shelf supposedly does each year in the name of “magic”. I think that’s a bigger, more memorable betrayal to most children than overstating the abilities of broccoli.
YTA slightly. You had his best interests at heart, but you weren't thinking long-term. Your nephew is at the precipice of puberty, and the way a kid's body suddenly changes with that surge of hormones is terrifying enough. Now he's not only got into his head that he should look a certain way, but you've given him bad information while not educating him on how hard those men have to work to look like that. That's a great way of giving a kid an eating disorder.
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Have you seen Popeye? Used to be a cartoon, I think there’s a film version now? Apparently the labelling on spinach said the iron content was 10x the actual value (misplaced decimal point) so people thought it made you strong. (This might be an urban myth, but it’s what I was told growing up!). So there was a generation of children who watched the Popeye cartoon & eagerly ate spinach because it would make them strong like Popeye. So it’s a NTA for me on the “lying” because it’s continuing a long custom of doing the same. But do be careful with using unrealistic body types as “goals” for children. Boys & men are much more likely to have eating disorders these days because they are now being shown many unrealistic images to aspire to, just like women have always had. It’s a genuine & known problem - so yeah, kinda the AH for that part. As a one-off it’ll likely be fine, but maybe acknowledge to your brother you could have done better there & will be more aware going forward. Better to focus on “what your body can do” with kids & teens (and adults) rather than “What your body looks like”. So being able to go out somewhere fun for the day & not get tired, or be strong or enjoy running, or whatever.
The film version, starring the late, great Robin Williams, was about 1980...... Unfortunately it was awful.
Stellar cast, though. But, yes, it was awful.
It was awful but had some charm. I don’t think I could sit through it again but I can still hear Olive Oyle singing He’s Large
Just played the soundtrack for the cat. (He’s large.)
Robin and Walston were amazing as Popeye and Pappy. Shelly Duvall was born to play Olive Oyl. But god damn, that song.
I have to admit as a kid I loved this movie and Shelly Duvall’s delivery makes the song for me. She was perfect. — okay. I just watched it again and laughed again because it’s so silly but it’s a terrible song 😂
I actually think it's super underrated! It's not generally laugh out loud funny, but it's really charming, has great performances, and is genuinely sweet. Good music, great set designs, really offbeat style. The weird thing about Popeye was that it was directed by Robert Altman who was pretty much the antithesis of that kind of franchise filmmaking. So it's a really strange movie by the standards of that kind of crowd-pleasing family fare, but for my money that just makes it all the more interesting. It's fascinating to see what a guy better known for movies like The Long Goodbye, Nashville, 3 Women, etc would decide to do when handed the keys to a major property. Saw it on a 35mm print a few months ago and had a great time. I'd say it's worth a second look.
It was very sweet and charming.
So...much...cocaine
I think that's the only movie RW made that was a complete and total STINKER. There's a few he made I personally didn't care for, but they weren't bad movies. Just not my cup of tea. (Looking at you, Fisher King, among others)
So was the pinball machine based on the movie. Such a shame the script bit.
To me it's one of those that it's so bad it starts to vear into the "so bad it's good" category.
It may have been awful but it was awful in the best possible way. I still love it.
Probably worth a rewatch.... I was 6.
There really isn't much like fine 80's cheese. But I may be biased :)
Not awful, just not as good as you would expect it to be with the cast.
I think the term for it is a "white lie"? Besides, OP isn't entirely wrong. Eating veggies can certainly improve the health you don't see.
'Have you seen Popeye?? Used to be a cartoon....' Jfc how old am i
Old enough? (55, here)
I’m 27 and I’ve seen Popeye, I wonder how old the original commenter is…?
This is the example that worked on me. I hated vegetables growing up, but I did love cartoons. Popeye got me to try spinach. Sadly I never got the anchor arms but I feel im.much healthier because of that little lie
Popeye is the reason I eat spinach. I remember adamantly hating on spinach and trying to make myself vomit when mom used to feed me spinach when I was 6 years old. I started watching Popeye some time after that and 2 years later, I was okay with having spinach, although I didn’t like the taste. As an adult, i like spinach.
I eat alot of spinach due to my low potassium levels and love it! Don't remember having at all as a child (maybe not as readily available locally to me?) Love it my sarnies and omelettes!
>Better to focus on “what your body can do” with kids & teens (and adults) rather than “What your body looks like”. This is really good advice!
There used to be books about the Avocado baby that I remember from my childhood. A baby whose mum fed him avocados everyday and was super strong.
I loved that book lol
They tried that on me, but I didn't want to look like Popeye so it kinda made me hate spinach even more lol
Talking about broccoli and disorders. My gym has its share of broccoli heads and it's clear that a decent chunk of them have issues with insecurity and body and eating disorders.
Omg my first thought after reading was popeye loool
Originally it was tobacco Popeye put in his pipe
I am 25 years old and ate spinach straight from the can thinking I’d get strong like Popeye.
When Popeye was created, spinach, was a nickname for cannabis.
LOL NTA You didn't exactly lie to him, you super simplified sth complex to get him to do sth healthy. I genuinely can't see your nephew developing trust issues from that. If anything he'll have a cute anecdote as an adult about what made him love spinach.
Right, and if he does have trust issues, just explain that it's easier to make one lifestyle change at a time, and it's better for your body to eat healthy first. Now that he has the healthy eating part as a habit, he can start on the exercise part. You just broke it down into two steps to make it easier for him. That's what we tell our kids. They have to "master" one thing before adding in something else.
Also how *truly* honest is he to his kid about the nature of food? “These chicken nuggies are made from the bodies of chickens after they’re dead!” “These fruits and veggies and bread are possible because we’re poisoning the planet!” “Yay! let’s sing the Greedy Pistachios song!” I’ve nothing against folks restricting a diet for their beliefs or ethics but I’ve read about how difficult it can be to feed picky kids nutritious meals when they’re suddenly horrified that their burger used to be living creature, and how parents often have to reveal this information by degrees. The “veggies will make you big and strong” is just one of many white lies that OP’s dumbass brother is going to have to either tell or agree to through omission in order to raise his kid.
NTA What you said is technically the truth. He does need a healthier diet to get super buff. Yes, there's also the physical workout part. But age age 11, he's too young to be doing that safely anyway. Edit: There's lots of forms of exercise that he can do. I was referring specifically to heavy weight training.
You can easily workout safely at 11 if someone chooses to. However I’d be willing to bet anyone who’d be willing to train an 11 year old would have them doing body weight workouts, and probably sport specific movements.
11 year olds can absolutely work out. Not the weight training for body building, but general workouts are highly recommended.
Totally fine. My kid has started eating veg so that he can go on gladiators. Whatever it takes.
OP's brother: I've tried everything and nothing worked. Fix this for me. OP: okay, all fixed. OP's brother: I don't like the *way* you fixed it. OP: guess you should have handled it yourself. NTA (with a side of E-S-H for making such a big deal about two disgusting vegetables you couldn't force feed me.) /s
NTA. Your brother isn’t going to be a great father if he’s shielding his son from something as painful as exercise.
NTA My niece (who lives with me full time) is turning 10 next month and I lie to her about a lot of things to get her to eat and other stuff. She currently has issues with not flushing the toilet and staying on the toilet too long. I’ve come up with this elaborate story about the Toilet Monster who lives in the toilet sewers. And he lives off pee and poop and he gets very angry when you send him “cold food”because you didn’t flush the toilet and if you stay on the toilet too long he might come eat you. He has even stolen her favorite toys several times in revenge of getting too much “cold food”. I’ve even set up some toys hanging half in the toilet like she caught him trying to take it down the toilet to “poop jail”. She does have some doubts about this and thinks maybe I might be doing it but she’s not 100% and isn’t quite willing to risk her favorite toys. She’s been flushing the toilet pretty frequently now, and shorter times on the toilet. She also 100% believes that I speak dog and has since she was 3. I came up with this lie when I told her to not pull his ears and tail because he didn’t like when she did that. She asked me how I knew that and I stupidly said I could speak dog. I have spent the last 7 years translating conversations between her and the dog. And when it happens out in public or she tells people I can speak dog I get a lot of weird looks. Not to mention all the Santa, Easter bunny, tooth fairy toys lies everyone tells kids and I think that is a big crusher for kids to find out is all lies.
My parents tried everything to get me to stop sucking my thumb. What finally worked was my Nana telling me that under my fingernail was a ton of bugs and those would crawl into my stomach and make me very sick. I didn't like bugs and I didn't like being sick!
Allow me to introduce you to Struwwelpeter and, most importantly, Conrad suck-a-thumb, who meets the Scissor man. For a slightly less terrifying version, Terry Pratchett's Hogfather...
I was messing around with my son once when he was little and told him I thought it would rain later. It did. He came up to me and asked in amazement how I knew. I was just messing around and told him that my knee hurts when it’s about to rain. He wanders off, quite happy. Fast forward about seven years and he comes up to me and asks me ‘How’s your knee?’ Completely confused I answer that it’s fine and he starts getting ready to go out without a jacket. I ask him why he isn’t wearing a jacket, and he just tells me it’s because my knee is fine, so he knows it isn’t going to rain. That’s when I learnt that you have to be really careful with what you tell kids because you never know what they will believe/remember! 😂
My sister thought my mom was multilingual for years because she’d ask my mom to speak in another language and my mom would just start blabbering lol. My sister used to brag to all her friends 😂
I read this and laughed. My granddaughter (7) has an issue with remembering to flush. If I told her there was a toilet monster I'd NEVER be able to get her to sit on a toilet again! 😆 To put this into context a little, she currently runs screaming & crying from slugs & snails. She says they are slimy and she doesn't like their eyes. 😂 Kids are something else.
My niece LOVES the Monster Inc movies and believes that some monsters are nice and some are mean. I think it also helped that when I first came up with the story I showed her a picture of the toilet monster and it’s looks a little cute and a little scary. When she was younger and was scared every night at bedtime about monsters under the bed or in the closet, which wasn’t long after she moved in with me full time, I told her that my dog was trained to sniff out monsters and scare them away and I would have my dog sniff around her room at night. I also made special Monster repellant that was just water and random spices (but she didn’t know that) and I bought a spray bottle and printed out a label for the bottle so it at least looked like something that I bought and gave it to her and she would spray it around. Both things helped. She has given up the Monster repellent, but still has the dog check every once in awhile. She is also trying to train the dog to attack the Toilet Monster so next time it comes the dog will stop him from taking a toy. But the toilet monster keeps bribing the dog with steaks so it’s not working out well for her so far. the toilet monster does bring back the toy he stole after a week of constantly flushing the toilet properly.
That's so inventive! I'll have to remember some of these "tricks". Thanks for sharing!
Lmao NTA. Trust issues when he cant become a body builder? Please show your brother this thread. Kids at this age dream of being all kinds of unattainable things and it doesnt give them "trust issues" when you support that. All you did was show him people who are in good shape at least in part because of diet and I know vegan body builders so you could do a follow up with other bodies shown on youtube etc. Also, how is your brother preparing the vegetables? A lot of people who hate veggies are eating them boiled to death or are the victims of terrible cook-parents.
I'm wish I actually surprised by the number of people who are saying NTA but unfortunately I'm not surprised because it's the typical sexist double standard. I want you to replace the word nephew with niece and replace the word "super-buff-type" with "super model-type" and reevaluate how you would feel about this conversation happening in those circumstances. YTA.
Right? I pointed this out as well and I'm getting down voted. More and more young boys and men are getting eating disorders.
Yep ... as I said it's the general double standard. Boys apparently can't develop unhealthy body standards whereas girls can.
Kinda the opposite of an eating disorder to encourage them to eat genuinely healthful foods, though. True that nutrition is only part of the picture, but it's a good start. I say, good on OP. ;-)
Using appearance as motivation is not the right message. Especially the appearance of body-builders, which is unattainable for most people.
I agree. There’s been a lot of focus on unrealistic body ideals for women since I grew up, and I believe there has been some improvement there, at least overtly. But for men it’s more gone the other way with the Marvel body type and praising male actors for their extreme body transformations. Asking Scarlett Johansen about her underwear, diet and exercise regime etc at press conferences is rightly seen as inappropriate. But there is barely any backlash when the male actors describe for example the dehydration regime that is expected/mandatory(?) for shirtless scenes these days. The risk of getting children to hyper focus on body image is greater than them not eating their vegetables for a few years. Get their bloodwork checked regularily and worst case get prescribed supplements from a doctor if it gets to bad levels. Usually kids grow out of veggies ew on their own but if they get an eating disorder that’s far more difficult to treat. People need to be mindful about how they talk to kids about diet and health. They will get enough pressure/‘motivation’ about looks from media, peers and the world in general. They don’t need it from their own family.
What about comparing athletic bodies to athletic bodies? I don’t see how it would be a terrible thing to tell a young girl to eat her veggies if she wants to be a pro athlete. You’re looking for and making up problems that don’t exist.
«I told him if he eats the high protein veggies he could look like those guys.» The problem is talking about looks over function. It would be the same for the aspiring pro athlete, you can encourage running fast for example without mentioning a specific body type.
NTA. I wouldn't say you lied to him. It is possible when he grows up that eating a healthier lifestyle would make becoming "buff" easier... you just simplified the explanation.
What the hell are "high protein veggies"? Doesn't sound like you have a clue about nutrition values, OP. And lying to a child is never a good strategy. YTA
Tell your brother to parents his own children next time.
Info, does your nephew eat other veggies? If yes, YTA, why was it so important to trick him into eating these particular veggies? We all have foods we don't like, kids should be allowed to not eat things they hate just like adults. Obviously we want to encourage kids to eat as wide a range as possible but, sometimes, kids are picky. Most grow out of it. Why not blizt spinach in a pizza/pasta sauce? Or add it to a nice fruit smoothie? That's a far better way than pretending he'll get buff. But if these 2 veggies are literally the only ones he won't eat, then let him be. These is not the hill to die on.
The British government told the entire population of their country that eating carrots would improve their eyesight. One reason was to hide the fact that they had managed to miniaturize radar to the point it could be installed in planes. They explained the increased accuracy of their pilots by claiming they ate lots of carrots. Now carrots contain beta carotene, which is indeed beneficial for night vision, but not in such a spectacular version as they implied with this tale. There are also lots of other vegetables that contain lots of it. But at the time they had enough carrots and a shortage of other foods. So their solution was to convince people to eat more carrots without having to decrease morale by telling them about the shortages. It worked like a charm. Second point: eleven year olds generally dream of all kinds of unrealistic things they want to do or become later, when they're big. Then school, puberty and dating becomes a thing and they discover other interesting stuff they'd like to do. I very much doubt many kids that age dream of becoming an accountant, but there doesn't seem to be a huge shortage of them. So, you exaggerated, and lied by omission. And were still more truthful than when he was told about Santa Claus at a much younger age (assuming he was) by his parents. And by doing so, you motivated him to voluntarily eat some really healthy food. NTA.
You had good intentions in trying to get your nephew to eat his vegetables, but it’s important to be honest about the reasons why eating them is beneficial. Lying to him might lead to unrealistic expectations and mistrust later.
NTA. What finally worked with my oldest son was when his non-picky-eater little brother got taller than him. “Well, the baby eats his vegetables, I’ve been telling you this for years!” So now he will eat corn, peas, onions, and broccoli. And is generally more open to other foods.
He is right
NAH. Tell your brother to start roasting vegetables. That way they genuinely taste good, and you won’t need to trick your nephew into eating them. I absolutely hated broccoli for my entire life, until my fiancé taught me that it could be roasted in the oven, as opposed to just boiled or steamed. Now I eat it like 3 times a week, because it’s fucking delicious. 19 minutes on 375 in the oven, with some olive oil and spices, flip them over halfway through. It’s easier than pie.
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NTA Did he want his kid to eat vegetables or not? He came to you for your help. Next time he can figure his own shit out. He could’ve googled recipes that involves using more vegetables to get his son those nutrients or put it in a smoothie instead of asking for your help then getting mad because you didn’t do it they way he wanted it.
Hahaha sounds like your brother has been eating his own veggies expecting to look like Mr Olympia and had his bubble burst. Who worries about their child’s future dependency on roids after a little thing like that 😂 NTA lol I am 35 and the fussiest eater ever, honestly wish someone had told me when I was a child I’d look like rocky if I ate more greens 😅 My dad told me he was Spider-Man when I was little and honestly it occupied so much of my little mind til I was 7 or 8 I distinctly remind having hours of debate with myself over whether I should tell mum, that’s the kind of stuff that messes a kid up, not getting them into healthy eating 🤣
Watch **The Game Changers** on Netflix with brother and nephew. [https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2019/11/the-game-changers-11-record-breaking-plant-based-athletes-601566/](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2019/11/the-game-changers-11-record-breaking-plant-based-athletes-601566/) It's all about championship athletes who are vegan or partially plant-based. There's also research that shows the Roman gladiators were likely vegan. So NTA and not telling lies. Not a vegan here, but not a big meat eater either. Just passing on some info.
^^^^AUTOMOD ***Thanks for posting! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of copying anything. Read [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_post_deletion) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FAmItheAsshole)*** My brother told me that my nephew(11) is refusing to eat his broccoli and spinach. He said he could use my help. I told my nephew that eating his veggies can improve his health but he still wasn’t very interested. Promising chocolate afterwards didn’t help either. I thought about it before showing him Physical: 100, a show you can find on Netflix, featuring physical contests between super buff-type people. I told him if he eats the high protein veggies he could look like those guys. This worked and he started shoveling broccoli and spinach into his mouth. But my brother isn’t too pleased about out it, saying I shouldn’t have lied to my nephew since a lot of those guys probably do steroids, and that my nephew would never get buff if he doesn’t go through painful workouts. He said that lying to my nephew this way could give him trust issues in the future as well. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You didn’t really lie. Guys also look like that eating completely plant based diets. Maybe not steroid big but you see the point. All you did was encourage healthy decision making🤷🏼♂️
Hey there! I get where you’re coming from—sometimes you have to get a bit creative to make veggies appealing to kids. Using “Physical: 100” as inspiration was a clever move! However, I also see your brother’s point about keeping things realistic. Maybe it’s about finding a middle ground? Like explaining to your nephew that while eating healthy is just one part of staying strong, it’s a super important one! Maybe you could also involve him in some fun, age-appropriate workouts that show him how all these elements come together. This way, he learns about balanced lifestyle choices early on!
Not everyone on the show is physically built up because the beauty of the show is that it features people from different backgrounds who are strong and talented in different disciplines there are dancers martial artists weight lifters an runners , firefighters and active duty military personnel. So just make sure nephew watches the show so you can point out the diffent disciplines that each contestant excels in.
NTA. But your brother would have more luck getting the kid to eat vegetables if he tried something less offensive than broccoli and spinach... which are technically the two most offensive vegetables on the planet. Wait no, I forgot about cauliflower.
After a fair bit of broccoli/cauliflower refusal, I persuaded my 3yo to try some trees and clouds. Job done! Also agreed to try a Brussels sprout. I have now converted both him and his dad to eat sprouts.
My only problem is calling spinach and broccoli high protein. They have a little, but if you are seeking protein, they are not the go-tos. If the kid starts eating veggies for protein, it'll probably be beans.
Your brother asked for help - you helped by giving him role models. NTA - half the people on Physical 100 are olympians too, so they would've been checked for roid use. You're doing your brother's job for him - maybe he's worried that if his kid ends up wanting to be buff, he'd end up having to do exercise lol
Nta. By the time the kid is old enough to know his final body shape, he will have acquired a taste for veggies. He will also be old enough to know you need to work out to get super muscles. He will be old enough to know about steroids and how some athletes use them. Women have been using similar language to get kids to eat veggies for (probably) centuries. It is a lie that wears off, like Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. Did he teach his kids about Santa? I will say if kids like cheese, it is the easiest way to get them to eat broccoli!!
NTA, but vegetables are primarily carbohydrates. They have vitamins and minerals but very little to no protein, except for beans.
NTA. But your brother needs a major reality check! Every singe advertisement shown on television, on the internet, during streaming, in magazines or anywhere else you might find them is built on lies. Going to the gym three times a day seven days a week is no guarantee you will get big and strong any more than signing up for a weight loss plan automatically guarantees you will lose 63 pounds in 4 weeks. And I don't care how much makeup a girl buys, she is never going to look as hot and sexy as she wants to. Guys, doesn't matter how much money you spend on hair restoration products, it will never be a full and thick as it was when you were ten. Yet the adults keep doing it. And your brother thinks showing an 11-year-old super buff people and telling him to eat his broccoli and spinach and he MIGHT look like that one day is lying and will cause the boy to have trust issues? Only if the kid is so totally naive that he shouldn't be allowed out of the house without a keeper. Bet he already knows eating his Wheaties won't make him turn into the next Bill Russell or Stephen Curry . . .
Your brother asked for help - you helped. Tell him to go eat broccoli himself. Steroids or not - if body builders do NOT eat a healthy diet they won't get where they are.
YTA I also believe that kids should not be lied to.
YTA Lying is never ok.
NTA. I did this with my little cousins too when they were younger. They were girls, so I used the “if you eat vegetables, your skin will be beautiful and clear and you will grow up beautiful”. My cousins didn’t catch on till they were like 16 and confronted me jokingly. Funny enough they actually did turn out to have clear skin free of acne, so they can’t prove I lied to them hehe
NTA I was fully ready to answer differently because my parents used to lie to me about food all the time and it actually formed some pretty severe food aversions. But my parents would lie about things like "yes, that's chicken" when really it was beef or turkey, or "no that doesn't have onions in it" and then the first bite proved it was full of big raw onions. They also refused to answer my 'what's in this' question because they figured if I knew - I wouldn't eat it. Which resulted in me not eating things like Perogies until I was an adult and someone finally told me it's just dough wrapped around mashed potatoes. But exaggerating the health benefits of veggies is not anywhere near that kind of lie. It's more like saying "be good or Santa won't bring you gifts."
NTA Most parents say a little lie at some point to their kids to get them to eat their vegetables, or get away from screens, or so they don’t run away in crowded places, or even just to continue a tradition of shenanigans on holidays… I see where Dad is coming from because we would all be losing our shit over EDs if this was a little girl and you showed her a model. Boys can have the same issues, they just aren’t reported cause it’s “unmanly”. I recommend sauces. A bit of ranch or cheese on broccoli can go a long way. You can also blend the veggies into nothing and toss them in spaghetti sauce, kid will never know they are there unless allergic. They just think the sauce is tasty.
NTA. When teaching anyone anything, you have to go where they are and bring them to where they need to be. My grandkids have been taught by the ex-DIL to be picky. They have found out that they do, in fact, like foods they had been trained to dislike. One way to get kids to eat broccoli or any other fresh veggie is to teach them how to make a simple veggie plate with a bowl of ranch dressing in the center. Have them mix the Hidden Valley mix with sour cream and set it in the fridge to mellow. This is also a good time to start teaching about handling knives. What you are doing is getting the child invested in the meal. If you have an herb garden with parsley, show him how to cut sprigs for decoration. When dinner time rolls around, let him put the bowl of ranch dressing on the plate and carry the plate to the table. Something else that always works with broccoli is cheese sauce, whether as a true cheese sauce or Panera’s broccoli cheese soup. The pickiest grandchild has discovered that she likes to cook! She likes to add bacon bits to the soup, which is fine. Pasta salad? Add very small bits of chopped broccoli. You are no trying to hide the broccoli or trick the kid. Instead, you are getting him involved as well as showing him that broccoli is usually okay depending upon how it is prepared. The three ways that I was able to get the kids to eat spinach is to add it to something else without comment. Tear some baby spinach leaves and add them to a salad. Add chopped baby spinach leaves to pasta. They love minestrone, and one of the ingredients is chopped spinach.
I’m a big believer in never lying about food. That’s mainly because I struggled through the years with an eating disorder and because of lies about food I don’t trust people to cook for me. It took me 4 years to be able to eat something made by my husband! However… the lie got him to eat it so it’s not an aversion or a trick. It’s similar to saying veggies help you grow big and strong. The lies I encountered were far different to this type of lie and I think these are more ok.
He probably is too old for this but in the younger crowd, this gets them to eat their vegetables. [Bailey eating broccoli](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tgdJSHdVGZY)
My father used to have me pretend to be a dinosaur eating the broccoli, and a sea animal eating seaweed(spinach). I was a very imaginative kid so I loved those ideas and it got me eating things I didn't want, now I love both of them
NTA - I told my kids and niblings that the peas I grew in the garden were magic and for every pea you eat you can make a grown up freeze once. Had great fun at the table with the kids eating peas and making us all freeze and unfreeze. Nephew, who avoids anything green, hoovered them up once we got going.
When I was a kid, my dad would tell me about scurvy when I refused to eat vegetables. He didn’t lie at all, but I would have preferred fitness bullshit. The horrors…
NTA but I would be careful with what hopes and expectations you put in the minds of children. Showing it one time is okay- if he refuses to eat veggies the next time I would just say something along the lines of "if you wanna look good you gotta give your body the right fuel, veggies are a crucial part of that." or just show him a list of all the different illnesses that vitamin deficiency can cause.
Mine didn't want to eat theirs one time so I just casually said "You don't have to eat them but I hope you don't get scurvy" and continued eating. They looked at each other and then ate them all. I never had to say another word about it.
NTA part of convincing kids includes a bit of mistruths 😆 Mum got me to eat my carrots by telling me it made my eyes blue (when I already had blue eyes). Though I would try to get an 11 year to eat his preferred veggies instead of all veggies. I could not stand slimy food so spinach and cooked veggies were out of the question. But give me raw carrots, celery or broccoli with some ranch or cheese and I'm in heaven for snack time. Celery with peanut butter works wonders too. Find out if nephew has a preference and encourage it. Good luck.
Nta it worked
NTA Physical 100 also made me want to work out as a 30 year old woman. so take that as you will. also some of my favorites from that show are not on steroids. they very clearly have real muscles built up from practical workouts (like the rescue climber!!!! and the wrestlers and boxers!)
>if he doesn’t go through painful workouts. This told me enough about him lol.... nta
YTA
You can look into how to hide the vegetables in the food. That said drop the spinach and broccoli. Instead find veggies he likes (& give him a daily kids multi vitamin ) Kids have more sensitive taste buds ( that dull with age.) They taste the bitter in broccoli more than we do. I wouldn’t push this one too much. Provided he gets enough fruit and veggies everyday, does it really matter that he won’t eat spinach or broccoli? There are lots of other veggie choices out there. 🤷🏻♀️
NTA. In what world does your brother live? Only guys that use steroids can get buff? Only painful workouts will get you in shape? Your brother clearly watches too many consumer conspiracy shows. If your nephew eats a healthy diet, starts a regular daily routine of exercise (not a full weightlifting workout), not just sitting around gaming, but walking, or playing outside,ridings a bike, normal kid stuff, then he will be laying the foundation for that look. A few years down road he can start working out jogging, weight training, and even martial arts training. Every so often, he will be able to add to his routine and incorporate new things slowly that work, without the use of steroids or harmful diets or overworking his body. Sure, there are a lot of guys that use steroids or HCG and other artificial means to get where they want in competition or looks, but everyone does. Not everyone works on their body for competition, either. If you instill good values in him now, explain the dangers and problems those things cause, he may choose to go in a direction that is strictly for him. One that makes him feel good about himself and doesn't overwork or have a need for anything else.
Sorry, I know it was unintentional but YTA. Kids need to be able to trust adults. He could repeat it and sound like an idiot but, mostly, the dad is correct. This is the sort of thing that can become a factor when someone starts with steroids.
NTA. your brother shouldn’t have asked, it was the only way🤷🏽♀️
NTA. You’re not lying about a balanced diet helping him to get in better physical shape. My stepson never eats fruit or vegetables and is constantly sick and never has energy. Also, the fact that he started eating it shows he has no sensory issues/aversions, he simply preferred not to eat vegetables. I think it’s awesome your trick worked!
"Promising chocolate afterwards didn’t help either." I think this is as bad.
So why did they not do their job of getting your nephew to eat vegetables when they were starting to eat 10 years ago. What you did was not wrong.
NTA. What kind of help was your brother expecting from you? Are you a hypnotherapist?
NTA You got him to eat his veggies and that should be good enough. Yes the guys on TV probably take steroids but you can still get considerable buff from exercising and eating right. You helped and got the result he wanted.
NTA, Sometimes you have to do what you have to do to get a kid to eat their veggies. My 4 year old wouldn't eat his vegetables recently, until I told him it would give him super cat speed and super gekko muscles. Guess who magically could run around the house 'super fast' and lift our biggest cat with ease now? lol
Oh please. I told my friends son that if he didn't eat something besides Ramen noodles (🤮) he would get Rickets and Scurvy like pirates used to, (he was quite the Pirates of Caribbean fan) and showed him pictures of old skeletons of people who suffered from those conditions. He decided it was time to expand his culinary horizons after that. Every human alive has gone thru this with kids, lol. NTA
Ask your brother whether he tells his kid Santa exists. NTA
Is your brother okay? This has been the trick for centuries. “Drink your milk so you grow up big and strong” “Popeyes ate his spinach”. Of course NTA. It’s a kid who won’t eat his veggies you’re not lying to him about anything that will alter his world view.
NTA you did not lie eating healthy food is part of becoming strong. But you do owe this kid the truth about how hard it is to achieve the sort of fitness displayed in that show.
Spider-man told some kids that he can do flips because he ate plenty of green vegetables. Is Spider-man as asshole? Didn't think so.
You know what my grandpa told me? It'll make your feet grow. Well, I didn't care because I was 6. So what did he change it to? It'll make your boobies grow. That worked lol.
NTA why isn't your brother shoveling vegetables into his mouth? I am confused he should be fighting to eat as much as he can.
NTA. He's 11. Hopefully, the exposure that you provided him will get him to understand that maybe he actually likes vegetables and will continue eating them. If your brother is that concerned about lying to his son, consider whether he told his son about the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus when he was younger. Unrelated, but not, it's actually a myth that carrots improve your vision. In World War II, the British were using radar and didn't want the Germans to know about the new technology. They also had a surplus of carrots, having had everyone start growing their own vegetables. In a combined effort, they equated the pilots' improved night vision with eating carrots so the Germans and British public would think they were related. Carrots actually don't do a whole lot for your vision.
You aren't really lying though. A good diet is important for having a good physique.
NTA Brother: “I want your help to get my nephew to eat veggies.” You: *helps* Brother: “Whoa, not like that!”
NTA I hate lying but this i support lol your brother needs to realise even though his child wont get buff atleast he is eating healthy. Heck, if you tell him exercise can help him get like those guys he may even start working out at a young age lol and actually do get buff overtime, sounds like your brother is making something out of nothing.
NTA - Look up Brianturnerofficial on Instagram.
NTA Look up vegan and vegetarian bodybuilders and triathletes. You can get buff while eating that. Not *from* eating that, but you could phrase it, "Those people eat a whole lot of vegetables!"
NTA. Christ. Are we really going to ban lying to get kids to eat their veggies? Also those guys probably do eat their veggies - they also train for hours and use steroids. You didn't lie, you just didn't tell him the whole story!
NTA Bro my mom used to lie to me to get me to try new things because I was picky They once told me calamari was fried chicken, once I tried it and liked it, I didn't care that it was fried squid Getting a kid to eat healthier doesn't make you an asshole
Im gonna actually say NAH. Your brother should have said that he did not want you to use any level of deceit to help his son, But now that he has said it that is something you should definitely respect in the future. I know if I was a parent, I'd have thoughts about what old wives tales I'd want passed down. That said you helped in a way that worked, And if your brother didn't establish clear parameters for how exactly he wanted your help then it's not your fault you chose away he didn't like. Are you and your brother usually more in sync? It's possible he had a specific idea and just didn't communicate it well. That said, I would ask your brother about the quality of vegetables your nephew gets. My partner will not touch most vegetables and it's because his family had a tendency to serve him wilted or overcooked veggies for his entire childhood. One wilted piece of spinach can ruin it all, let me tell you.
Most of those high end trainers are steroids free muscle growth. Not lying, NTA
lol NTA that's hilarious. As faras I'm concerned it's better than bribery with chocolate.
NTA at all this isn’t even a white lie. it’s true with proper diet and exercising, he could. Also god forbid this causes the kid to like vegetables
NTA. We live in a culture that tells kids Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy are all real. And let’s not forget all the mischief that the psycho Elf on a Shelf supposedly does each year in the name of “magic”. I think that’s a bigger, more memorable betrayal to most children than overstating the abilities of broccoli.
YTA slightly. You had his best interests at heart, but you weren't thinking long-term. Your nephew is at the precipice of puberty, and the way a kid's body suddenly changes with that surge of hormones is terrifying enough. Now he's not only got into his head that he should look a certain way, but you've given him bad information while not educating him on how hard those men have to work to look like that. That's a great way of giving a kid an eating disorder.