katiefleck's Unofficial Guide to Surviving 3 or more children under the age of 6
Volume 4: Meal Time
Meal time can be one of the toughest parts of the day for parents (the other rough times being: getting dressed, playtime, naps, baths, going out, bedtime, um... Pretty much all day!) And if you have a picky eater, forget about it! Learn to live on mac-n-cheese and applesauce for the next 10 years. Just kidding! Here are my solutions to some of the most common meal time problems:
- Cook two meals. Personally I use this one a lot. It is a little more work but it cuts down on wasted food if I serve the kids spaghetti & meatballs instead of the lasagna for Greg and I. The trick is to keep either the main dish the same and change out the side items for kid friendly fare or keep the side items and substitute the main item. So in my example above we'd all have the garlic bread and salad.
- Keep it simple. You've probably noticed that I say this a lot. Kids for the most part are simple creatures. The whole world is still so new to them that it's best to keep it as least confusing as possible. So they aren't going to appreciate the 15 ingredient casserole or the 11 herb spiced chicken. I'm not saying you can't let your inner gourmet loose once and awhile. But if you aren't a big fan of cooking (which I'm not) the kids will be just as thrilled with a simple hamburger and fries as with beef wellington and grilled eggplant.
- The One Bite Rule. Back to your inner gourmet... Occasionally you will be so sick of making two meals or eating bland chicken that you'll make an elaborate dinner. Which the kids will of course refuse to eat. Especially if the ingredients in the dish aren't easily identified or it has a funny name like stromboli. My philosophy is life is too short to fight with your kids over a meal. So one bite and they are off the hook for that particular item. There's always a chance they will like it. My kids adore asparagus after I enforced The One Bite Rule the first time I served it. Who would have guessed that one?
A reverse psychology technique that works wonders is to not put any of the questionable item on their plates and instead only on yours. And then magically, they will want it. My kids wouldn't touch stir fry chicken with veggies when I served it to them for dinner. But a week later when I only made it for Greg and I, they polished off my plate and asked for seconds. Kids... - Table Manners and Eating Out. I grouped these together but table manners matter the most when eating out. A thrown biscuit at home is one thing but at "Fancy Restaurant that is Not McDonald's"? Yeah, not so cute there. One word: Practice. Practice at home a lot. Eventually it'll not only make eating out easier but meal times at home will be more pleasant too. Pick one manner that you feel is important for the kids to learn and work on only that one until they catch on. Then move on to the next with reminders of the previous one. Don't throw all the rules at them at once. You'll get indigestion and they won't learn a thing other than Mommy's eye twitches funny when she's frustrated. They didn't learn to walk in one day, they aren't going to pick up Miss Manner's Dinner Etiquette in one meal either.
The next step is to eat out where it's okay if they fall apart. Again, McDonald's works well here. Actually McDonald's can be tougher than a "Fancy Restaurant that is Not McDonald's" because in a fast food joint, many of the other children there will be acting up. Other parents' thinking: it's okay because it's McDonald's. But actually it's not. Little kids' minds don't easily differentiate between McDonald's and "Fancy Restaurant that is Not McDonald's". If they can be crazy at one place during a meal, why can't they do it at another? Yeah, yeah, I'm a mean mom but the multiple compliments I receive from other diners after dinner at "Fancy Restaurant" are sooo worth it. And most kids do like to please their parents so I pass the compliments onto them. Double. And with a cherry on top. A few tips:Go when the kids are rested. Tired and cranky children can't be on their best behavior even for all the ice cream in Baskin Robbins.
Bring their own utensils. Depending on how upscale your "Fancy Restaurant" is, they may have lidded cups, bibs, and smaller sized utensils. Or they may be out. This is not a good time to take chances.
Bring small quiet distractions and snacks while you wait for the food. This is when your fully stocked Diaper Bag can save your life. But be prepared to leave early in case of horrible misbehavior. We all have our bad moments. Or if it's an event you can't leave, exit for a few minutes of quiet time.
I rarely ask for the kids' food to be brought out minutes ahead of mine (some servers will offer) because they will finish eating quickly and be ready to go before you've taken your first bite of filet mignon. However don't let them bring the kids' food out last either because no matter how hard they try not to, they will be upset that their food isn't in front of them when yours is.
Oh, one last thing. The idea to let the kids cook? Approach with the same caution as you would letting the kids clean the house. A lot of cooking involves sharp utensils and hot appliances. If you can deal with the mess, let them make their own sandwiches (jelly and peanut butter can be spread with a spoon). Let them hand you ingredients. Just stress not to make their own meals when you're not present. Cooking with the kids might help them getting over their picky habits. But have sponges and a fire extinguisher handy. *winks*
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