Teddy torture: The horrifying technique some parents are using to get kids to eat – Times of India

There is probably nothing that tests the patience (and negotiation skills) of new parents, more than the kids who simply refuse to eat. After all, fussy eaters often turn the dining table into a battlefield as you try and bargain two more bites of ‘greens’. Parents are known to adopt different strategies of cajoling, persuading and even bribing at times to get their kids to eat. Infact, navigating these mealtime wars with fussy eaters is nothing out of ordinary for most guardians. While certain parents do end up seeking professional advice to manage the diet of their little ones, others resort to more creative ways of presenting the meals.

What is teddy torture technique

However, a new approach to get the little ones to eat more is going viral on social media platforms, which is getting heavily slammed for its cruel and heartless approach. Footage of parents slapping and beating their children’s teddy bears and toys is garnering a lot of attention. In one such video, a man is shown beating his nephew’s mickey mouse soft toy as little one refuses to eat.

Soon enough, the shocked and disturbed boy proceeds to eat his meal. The distressing video was doing rounds on Twitter with the caption ‘When kids don’t wanna eat.. this is what you gotta do.” A lot of similar videos with the disturbing ‘teddy torture’ technique have also surfaced, where parents and guardians can be seen hitting their kids’ favourite toys to make them eat their food. The flawed logic of “training through fear” seems to be the motive behind this technique.

Parents are disgusted at the horrifying trend


Unsurprisingly, the videos have drawn a lot of flak from horrified parents all over the world. Some have even noted that this disturbing method of feeding the kids is bound to have long-term repercussions on the child’s relationship with food. One of the distraught parents commented on the video, “Please tell me that Child Line/Social Services have been advised and that they are doing something about this. These parents have to be tracked down and have their children taken from them. My heart feels so sore and aches for these innocent babies.”

Another one commented, “I am actually sitting here in tears without even seeing the video. The thought of scaring my baby makes me physically sick. I’m in absolute shock. What a horrible way to start your child off in life.”

While the source of the video is yet to be tracked, most parents on the internet echoed similar sentiments over the trend of beating up your child’s favourite toy to force them to eat their food.