What do you do when your mom just won't listen? A woman wrote into Slate's "Care and Feeding" to ask how to stop her mother from feeding her daughter Thanksgiving leftovers, even though the holiday was about three weeks ago.
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"It is now a solid two and a half weeks post-Thanksgiving, and my mom is still trying to feed my 2-year-old Thanksgiving leftovers!" the woman wrote. "I’ve tried a compassionate approach, sneakily throwing out old food, and showing her the FDA food guidelines, but none of it seems to convince her that it isn’t safe to eat. She refuses to freeze food within the safety window and gets upset with me when I refuse to eat or serve food that is five or more days old."
"I know it comes from her growing up food insecure in another country, and I try to be as patient with her as I can, but I put my foot down when it comes to feeding my child food that may make him sick. What else can I do?" she asked, signing the letter "Grossed Out."
"When she gets mad at you for refusing to eat her old food, firmly state, 'This is not a negotiation. I am not going to eat any food that I feel is unsafe for me and my son, and that’s final.' She may be hurt by your words, but if she wants to break bread with you in the future, she’ll have to learn to change her ways. Tough love can be quite effective to send a message," the advice giver said.
"In the meantime, continue to show her FDA guidelines and explain the impact of foodborne illnesses, because I’m sure she doesn’t want either of you to be sick due to her handling of food."
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, "Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or frozen for 3 to 4 months. Although safe indefinitely, frozen leftovers can lose moisture and flavor when stored for longer times in the freezer."
