Confession #1: family dinner is the worst part of my day……cue the mom guilt.
Before I had babies, I envisioned pleasant family dinners every night complete with a fully set table. The food would sit on the table in dishes and everyone would participate in delightful conversation. And, of course, there would not be an electronic device in sight. Oh the naivity!
Major props to all of the toddler families who somehow manage this. You are the real MVPs.
The Reality
News Flash! Real Life is not like a dinner scene in an episode of Blue Bloods…at least in my house.
Our food is never in dishes on the table. The thought of creating more dirty dishes makes me ill. Not to mention the incredible arm length of a toddler… How do they manage to reach every single dish or spoon on the table without leaving their seat?
Most nights, at least one of our kids is not in their seat because, frankly, we’ve just given up. It’s just not worth the fight. I know, I know, we should make our kids sit nicely at the table even if they refuse to eat, but see above, we are tired and we have given up.
Nothing is more inferiating then when you cook a nice meal and your 2 year old refuses to eat anything except “chips in a bowl”. Semi-Pro tip: throw some corn in there and you can now call it a taco salad! Food blogger status.
There is consistently always one person who ends up in tears. Sometimes it’s the little guys, but more often than not it is me… literally, tears almost every night of the week. Internally, I am saying “this should be easier”, “I am too tired to fight through this tonight”, or “how in the world do other families do this well”.
Confession #2: On particularly rough nights I stick the boys in front of the tv with their food so I can eat in silence and peace. Ooof the mom guilt is strong with this one.
Regardless of what your meal time looks like, it is a small blip in a day in the life of a toddler. Family meal time is the worst time, but coloring with my kids and blowing bubbles and singing Old McDonald are the best times. I hope they remember swinging and reading books and rocking and not the bowl of “taco salad” in front of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
In fact, major props to the Lunchable families because you are doing it even while in survival mode. You are the real MVPs and you have a kindred spirit in me.
So funny and so true! This too will pass and dinner time may someday be that picture in your mind. You have to roll with whatever works! No guilt!
Drew says the same thing about me.