Should You Use This Viral Parenting Trick?

The internet is in an uproar over a Japanese mother who’s adopted what she calls a 'cruel' method to feed her toddler: "Watch and do as I do," she says in a video that quickly went viral, racking up millions of views. "If your child loves strawberries, put a strawberry in a bowl of porridge or soup, and lift it with just a bit of porridge, so the child thinks he’s about to get it."

This tactic allowed the mother to finish the entire meal she had prepared for her child, but not without a flurry of angry comments from viewers, who claimed it was more about 'starving' rather than feeding. 

"You’re putting something in front of him that he can't have? That's pure cruelty," one comment declared. 

"Why humiliate the child like that?", another user exclaimed. "Perhaps he doesn't even like the porridge you made, and you should give him something tastier?"

"Some kids are picky eaters," another commenter noted. "I support distracting them with a toy or letting them hold something in their hand while feeding them. No doubt creativity and patience are needed, but this is not the way to get your child to eat. You’re depriving him of what he wants, what he craves. Just give him the strawberry."

What do you think about this approach? Share your thoughts in the comments!