Control Issues

I have had an epiphany: it's all about control. And giving it to the children.

Now, sure, as we say, "mommy is in charge of health and safety." But outside of that, the power is up for grabs.

And understanding this has revitalized my menus, among other things. It happened over lunch. The kids had veggies and chicken with leftover rice. I was getting over the stomach flu and had chicken broth. And they wanted some. So, I spooned out some soup and they happily began to drop various foods from their plates into the soup bowls. And their choices were different. DS focused on rice and veggies. DD chose chicken and veggies.

I realized that most of our meals need to be "make your own." Not just tacos and pizza, but more complicated--pasta sauces, omelet inserts, meatloaf muffins, even cookies. Let the kids help make the food (not touching raw meat, of course), choosing what they want--control over and an investment in what they are eating. And they really enjoy cooking! I know I realized this idea when I served mixed veggies family style and let them pick their favorites off, but I can expand it to include the whole meal. And, if I do it right--say, start with baked chicken and they choose the sides, then the next day tortilla soup with chicken (do they want veggies? noodles or tortillas?), or chicken tacos--it can go on for days. Now I just have to start thinking up everything that they can "build their own." It's fun. And they'll eat it.