"THERE'S A NEW RULE IN THIS HOUSE," I found myself saying (okay, yelling) last night. " YOUR FATHER AND I WILL MAKE ONE DINNER AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, DON'T EAT IT. I'M NOT MAKING THREE DIFFERENT MEALS EVERY NIGHT!!!"
I know I'm not alone when I say it frustrates me to no end when my kids won't eat what I make for dinner. Parents for years have dealt with this dilemma. It's how we react to this annoyance that sets us apart. I could yell and get angry and put them in their rooms OR I could calmly tell them that sometimes we don't get choices in life and we have to live with our decisions. i.e. Not eating now = being hungry at bedtime.
This latest outburst came about after my daughter said she didn't want soup for dinner. Who doesn't like tomato soup? Okay, my 8-year old daughter and six-year old son don't like tomato soup. But I also offered to make chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. It was then, after I pleaded with my daughter to make a decision that I felt foolish. "What was I doing," I said to myself. "This is crazy," I told her. "Soup is what's for dinner. Take it or leave it."
She left it.
As a child, I remember my mother making ONE meal every night. There were never any options. Even when she opened a can of salmon (It's like tuna in a can), mixed it with mayo and slopped a spoonful on my plate I ate it. It wasn't my favorite, although it always came with baked frozen french fries (yum) and peas (gross).
Don't get me wrong, like anyone else, I always had my favorites and looked forward to spaghetti and taco nights. But I don't remember complaining. I just remember eating. My mother might remember differently but for the sake of this story I was a perfect child who always ate what I was supposed to. :)
I realize this little tirade is laced with a bit of anger. But every night, it's a different child .. so I'm laying down the law. In the future, I won't react in an angry manner. I'll just look at whichever beautiful child is scrunching up their face and pushing away their plate and say sweetly, "Sorry. I can't help you. Remember, there's a new rule in this house ... "
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7 comments:
Love the new rule. We have that one in our house and sometimes my 13 year old boy will not want to eat. Fine with me, but there are no snacks later on. Boy does he ever eat breakfast the next morning.
Nanc this is a reasonable rule!! We do the same thing at chez Story. I post the weekly meal schedule on a blackboard so that the kids are prepared for what will be offered each night. It doesn't eliminate the "yucks" but it does prepare them.
Also, during the summer I assign the kids each one weeknight to plan their choice of dinner. There are rules (such as no mac and cheese) that we do agree upon-it does work!!! We just actually did this for the month of February because I was tired of the comments I was getting. Stick to it-your evenings will get SO much easier!!!
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When I was a kid, my step mother DID NOT KNOW HOW TO COOK! But despite the frozen deals and such I didn't complain. It made me interested in cooking and I am a great cook today. But, no matter, if you have kids they will always disagree. You work hard and I am sure like most of us there are days when all you want to do is make them happy so they will shut up but you made the right choice with this rule. Good for you! P.S. Just for giggles I have to say that when I got older and had my own place, poor dad came on easter to sneak a few pieces of real ham before we had to go out to her dinner of ,yes u guessed it SPAM!lol
I don't think there is anything wrong with that rule. I had it when I was a kid, and as you, I remember looking forward to my favorites, but still having to eat things I didn't like. Life is full of disappointments and it's full of excitement. The same is true at dinnertime. It's also a good lesson in living with the decisions you make: don't eat, be hungry. Bon appetit!
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When I was a kid, my mother was mentally ill and did not feed us. My sister who is five yrs. older than me once stold a head of lettuce and western salad dressing from the store. We ate it. I was so thin I lost all my hair and it took til I was 8 yrs. old to look normal. Your idea is great! In this house I don't think anyone is picky
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