Just Do It!
I am guilty as charged. I am the mom who, when faced with feeding her children, tends to lean in a direction that I know will produce the least amount of fuss and the maximum amount of empty plate space. I am the mom who, when out running around, loves to take her children to the local mall, and the food court, knowing full well that they will order the standard chicken nugget and french fry kids meals. Hey, the important thing to me is that a meal out produces happy mouths all around. It’s just always worked for me. If we go someplace familiar, I don’t have to deal with any complaining or whining, or worst of all, have to stop somewhere else for munchies because someone didn’t want to eat what they ordered.
This past weekend, though, while we were on a mini vacation for the weekend, something unexpected happened. As we were on our way to The Mall of America, both kids turned to me and expressed their interest in having Chinese for lunch. Abigail wanted to have some chicken and noodles, and Zander was really interested in trying out chopsticks with his lunch. (Thank you Kung Fu Panda!) We did that very thing at lunch time! We bypassed all the familiar, all the kid friendly, and went straight for the restaurant selling the noodles with chopsticks. Both kids looked over the selection carefully before making their choices, and then they asked for chopsticks. Can I just say how shocked I was when my kids then proceeded to clean their plates? Abigail’s selection even turned out to be quite spicy, but armed with those chopsticks, she ate every piece.
Later in the weekend, we went to an authentic Mexican restaurant where there was no such thing as cheese quesadillas. Abigail quickly decided to order a burrito the size of her head, and Zander ordered a chimichanga, smothered in a delicious spicy red sauce. Both kids managed to put a great deal of their lunch away before succumbing to fullness. My son, who normally loathes meals of things mixed together, ate his saucy steak and rice chimichanga with his eyes closed, it was that good. Another time we tried out a new burger joint, and we all ordered the french fries that had been tossed with fresh rosemary, and again, Zander surprised me. He leaned over, smelled those fried and said they smelled absolutely delicious. Then he tasted, and told everyone that “they go down easy” with his eyes half closed in delirium.
The whole point here today is to just keep trying. Just when you think your kids are never going to break out of the chicken nugget mold, they do something absolutely crazy, like downing an authentic Mexican meal — chiles included. This last weekend my eyes were opened to the possibilities as I watched my daughter order from the adult menu with confidence, and I watched both children ask for tastes of everything at the table. Have we arrived? I hardly think so, as on the way back home the familiar drive thru called their names. Still, I think the progress is amazing, and it gives me great hope for the meals of the future. Whether at home our out and about, their tastes are evolving and maturing, and I have great hope that someday those picky tendencies will be all but eliminated. It’s a great hope to have.
