“I didn't raise you to be a picky eater!”

You bought a jar of peanut butter, but your daughter complained because it wasn't the kind that she wanted. You try to teach your kids not to complain about things like that, so you say this.

I didn't raise you to be a picky eater!

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raise (a child)

To "raise a child" means to help the child grow from a baby to an adult. Raising children includes feeding them, clothing them, giving them an education, and so on. When parents are raising their children, they have certain ideas for how they want the kids to grow up to be. For example, you may want your child to be honest. So you teach him honesty. To explain this idea, you say that you "raised him to be honest".

a picky eater

Being "picky" means that there are a lot of things you don't like. Picky eaters have foods that they won't eat. You can also be "picky" about:

  • who you date
  • the quality of hotel you sleep in

The word "picky" has a negative feeling. There's another word, "choosy", which carries a more positive feeling.