Learning Curve

When Grace and the twins were little they pretty much lived on a diet of chicken nuggets, hot dogs and pizza. I would make one meal for Doug and I and one for the kids. Eventually I got tired of fixing two different meals. So I fixed things the kids should enjoy, spaghetti, chicken (not nuggets, meat loaf) and pretty much said eat what is in front of you or go hungry. It took several nights of tears and going to bed hungry, but they eventually got the idea.

There are still some things they refuse to eat, but I am done making several different meals. I try to fix things they like, that are healthy and are adult enough for Doug and I. I will occasionally fix them hot dogs or nuggets if I know they really won't like what we are having, but that rarely happens now. We used to go through two Sam's Club size bags of nuggets in less than two months, now I buy one and it lasts at least three. I will sometimes fix like meals that are different: we have salmon, they have fish sticks, for example, but for the most part they eat what we do.

At seven and eight they are just now starting to branch out into new territory. Jacob will now eat a double cheeseburger from a fast food place, Nate still just eats nuggets. Daniel is eating double cheeseburgers. Grace is just now eating a Big Mac or cheeseburger, this time last year it was only nuggets. All of the kids including Sarah will eat Arby's now but just a year ago Jacob would only eat the chicken strips. Spaghetti and tacos are favorites, but pot roast and meat loaf go untouched. They will eat a rotisserie chicken, but won't eat KFC or baked chicken from my oven.

My point, well I am getting to that. Daniel and Sarah have had a different meal time experience. They were never cooked special meals unless it was something like steak that a two or three year old couldn't handle. If Doug and I had it for dinner so did they. They get a spoonful or whatever of the meal, no questions asked, no choices given. They will eat it eventually and children won't starve or become malnourished just because they skip a meal. Yes they have had their share of chicken nuggets and hot dogs, but not nearly as many as the big kids. They eat what is in front of them with out much complaint. Daniel only complains if the boys do and will usually eat the meal even if the twins go to bed hungry.

This was most evident last night. I fixed a tater tot casserole, browned hamburger, cream of celery soup, tater tots and cheese on top baked in the oven till hot. You would think this would be a kids dream. Its like a cheeseburger and fries. Well the twins went to bed hungry, but Sarah, who has never had this dish before and for whom I almost made a hot dog but didn't, ate two helpings and loved it!!!! No fuss, not one objection, she just dug right in and ate.

So what is the moral of my story: make your kids eat what you fix when they are small and you won't have seven year olds going to bed hungry cause they won't even eat a Tater Tot Casserole!!