From the moment we become a Mom, we are programmed to constantly think about our children’s food intake: (If you are a NICU mom, it is more like hard wired.) Make sure they eat every 3 hours. Don’t let them sleep longer than 4 hour stretches. Start solids at this age. Are they getting enough protein, vegetable and fruit ratio in their diet?! It is exhausting thinking about all the thought that goes into their little bellies. Then, they hit a year and you get to have a fun exploratory time with little rules...until it ends! When do they develop this?! It’s like a thief in the night. One day, you have this willing to try anything I can shove in mouth infant, to a picky, if that has a speck of green on it, I’ll starve until tomorrow, toddler?! Like, my son could actually tell the difference between Oikos Greek yogurt and anything that wasn’t, and refused it at all costs! How about mashed potatoes? Nope! Why would they eat that delicious, party in your mouth goodness, when they can have slender shaped French fries from the same exact vegetable? To them, the thought of mashing them together, throws them into hysterics. Or heaven forbid, a pizza joint uses oregano! It is the fall of our household if that happens. Our pediatrician once told me he could write a book on all the crazy things toddlers develop in regards to eating habits and to rest assure, as long as olives weren’t the only thing they’d ingest, I had it pretty easy.
My neighbors, without a doubt, must think we torture our children based on the sounds that come from this house during an evening at dinner, when we ask them to try something new. But mention of McDonald's and somehow, we have eating challenge champions. I am pretty confident that if I let them, they would eat just enough to fund a new vacation home for the owner of McDonald's. So, if tonight turns into a night that peanut butter and jelly, pizza or fast food, win in the battle with your toddler, just so they'll eat something, their eating shenanigans have you questioning if they will ever grow, know you are in good company and you are not alone. Keep on offering new things and laughing through it, Momma! One day, we will be at a restaurant with our children as grown people, who eat pretty much anything you are picking up the tab for, and we will know, somewhere, we did something right. I can’t say I will forget the ridiculousness or exhaustion some nights bring to the dinner table, but I do know they provide lots of laughter recalling them when they are over. The mere fact that you can relate to this proves you are a caring mother, who tries her best to nourish her children and with anything in life, there will be plenty of failed attempts. Give yourself credit for all the things that go right and give yourself grace as you hand over your debit card to the cashier at McDonald's...at least they aren’t starving.
