The Mommy Wars and their ridiculous content

Yesterday I was reading a really great review of a book about food rules and how to get your kids to eat.

Some creative soul really dug deep and turned up the statement that forcing your kids to eat what you make them is tyrannical. Tyrannical. Because this is how Napoleon Bonaparte raised his kids, right?

Some other poor souls whined about how their kids don't like anything healthy. Lady, I can totally relate to that.

Here's a thought: if they ever actually TASTE everything you give them, and you give them a lot of variety to try, they might actually find something they like besides crackers. Just ask me. I got this.  I'm still struggling every day to get my kids to try things, but in two short months since I banished crackers and processed snacks from my pantry, they have already begun eating more of their meals in general.

Look. Nobody is suggesting we strap our kids onto a table and force-feed them Brussels Sprouts. Who actually eats that shit anyway? I'll tell you. One Two FOUR Five. FOUR Five out of every 550 people eats Brussels Sprouts. And I know this because I probably know that many people and only one two four Five of them eat those.  Statistics at its finest, folks. (The population doubled after a friend read my blog post and informed me that he also eats them. Freak.  But I feel compelled to keep the data as accurate as possible. Since I got all math-science-y and all.) (Another friend piped up that she and her hubs like them. I'm beginning to question my judgement in friends.) (Guess I know how I'll be spending my day.)

What people are suggesting is that we stop allowing our kids to make a choice between the TWO things they actually like, and instead offer them different things to figure out what else they might like.

Do they sometimes have a fit? Yes.  They are toddlers.  They have a fit over the fact that Dora is on instead of The Wonder Pets.  It is their nature. And they have figured out where their fits are most effective, the manipulative little monsters. At mealtimes.  Because obviously their fits are indicative of the fact that we are starving them.

So this is how I feel about the elusive solution to food struggles with toddlers.  It's our fault, as parents. 100% on us.  We are in control. We choose what we introduce to our kids, and we take the easy way out when we find something they like and depend upon it to avoid the drama that will ensue if we take it away.

Don't be scared of your tots, folks. They weigh like 32 lbs. Just what kind of pain are they capable of inflicting if you don't give them their crackers? Put on your big girl panties and get in there.

My mother cooked every meal. She could not afford to buy chips and cookies and processed food snacks.  And she made us eat what she made, because she did not have the luxury of filling her pantry with items for a short-order cook.  She also made us eat wholesome meals because she is a great mom, and cares more about the nutrients we put into our bodies than whether or not we would screech at her for the 879th time that day.

This morning I tried a new approach. I filled four plates with chopped fruits and bagels and lined them up like a buffet for the boys to choose their breakfast.  Brady chose almost an entire banana and 3 strawberries and half a mini cinnamon raisin bagel.  Drew chose the other half of the bagel, 5 strawberries, and after a little prompting, about 4 slices of banana. They both ate every bite on their plates.

I call that a win, folks. Well, first win of the day. And it's currently 9:25 am on the east coast.