Today is the fifth day of the April A to Z Challenge. During this month I will be writing blog posts every day (with breaks on all Sundays except this one) about the topic “Sh*t I Say” starting with each consecutive letter of the alphabet. This is one crazy project, y’all.
Eat Your Dinner
In the epic struggle to Get My Children To Eat Healthy, I would say right now I am winning. But only because I have chosen to surrender. That makes me less stressed – there is less arguing and whining, and therefore fewer reasons for me to pour some wine while making the dinner the children will eventually reject. Because when I do that, I get tired earlier, and I have to go to bed right after the children do, which means I don’t work at night and I get less done, and then I have more to do the next day. By the end of the week my backlog is piled so high I just want to crawl under the covers and sleep all weekend. And that is no way to cross off items on my to-do list, an activity that makes me inappropriately happy.
No, instead of slapping down a cauliflower and onion-filled burger, I now simply serve them their favorite foods, or at least foods that I know they will tolerate on their way to dessert, and every few days I add an item like a vegetable or a meat dish that contains healthy ingredients and I tell them to at least try it or they won’t get dessert. It seems to be working. Last week they both devoured some chicken I made at Dream Dinners because it had a sweet and savory sauce. They both said things like “Mmmm!” and “I like the smell of that chicken!” I wished I had my video camera handy to record it for you.
But this temporary (because I’m sure it’s temporary – I mean, it’s ME we’re talking about) relax of control doesn’t mean that I have not stopped directing them through mealtimes. They are two little boys, after all, and they are fidgety and easily distracted. Dinnertime is an hour-long period of me saying “Sit down. Eat your dinner. Come back. Eat your dinner. Sit on your BOTTOM. Eat your dinner. No, you can’t have toys at the table. Eat your dinner. EAT YOUR DINNER. EAT YOUR DINNER!!”
For some reason I never had to talk my kids into eating. They even liked vegetables.
Nice to meet you and I hope you’re enjoying the Challenge!
KarenG
A to Z Challenge Host
LOL I am currently in the middle of learning some lessons… giving up control is one of them… that is not an easy one… in motherhood and in life… I’m getting there… and my formerly uber picky eater now AMAZES me with all she will eat… I’d do the same thing, “Just try a bite” … now she is all “YUM!” about things I would NOT expect an 8 year old to be so enthusiastic about.
I hear you Kim. It’s been a gradual retreat to win the battle.