Especially in America, do we generally have this idea that when a kid says they're hungry, they have to be fed right then and there?

I mean, really. It’s an hour before dinner will be ready. Your child’s whining that they’re hungry….do you give them a little something (and a little something more, and a little something more) so they’ll stop “whining”? And then get upset because they aren’t hungry for dinner? I figgure, if you’re going to do that, give them “a little something and a little something more” from whatever you’re cooking for dinner, then leave them alone if they aren’t all that hungry for dinner. They got the nutritional value out of what you were cooking for dinner…and that’s what dinner is all about, right? Nutrition? However, if dinner is also about getting together as a family, starve the buggers for another hour and they’ll be right there, part of the family, ready to eat!