Saturday, September 27, 2014

Eating En Famille

My husband, daughter and I eat dinner together most nights. It's on the (way) early side, especially when you compare us to regular New Yorkers, but I think it's really important. Here's why:

  • I've heard a million different versions of "I don't have time to cook" from my clients. Yet they manage to make sure that their child(ren) have a green veggie, protein and starch at every meal. If your toddler is feasting on salmon, sweet potatoes and chard at 5pm and you're doing fast food Chinese with your SO at 9:30, I don't believe your excuses. I DO believe that you're not valuing your health nor taking care of yourself as much as you protect your little one. Treat yourself as someone who deserves to be nurtured and cared for. Make a double batch of that salmon (or ask whoever made it to!) and reheat it for you
  • If you wouldn't consider giving your kiddo what you're eating (coffee and wine excepted), maybe you shouldn't be eating it. 
  • I've also seen the flip side, which looks a lot like "my kid will only eat peanut butter and jelly." So, Jr is digging into his sammy at 5pm and you're eating his leftovers at 5:15. I hate to sound preachy, but I'm gently suggesting that kids mimic us. If we can eat a balanced meal together and they see Mom and Dad eating broccoli and chicken, maybe they'll try it. Maybe. Put a small PB&J on their plate along with the greens and see what happens
  • Picky eating is sometimes a power struggle. Do not make meals a battle zone. If kiddo eats his broccoli, fine. If he doesn't, fine. Keep offering it, maybe in different incantations (steamed broccoli with cheese may get rejected, but roasted broccoli with garlic may happily get eaten), but don't make too big a deal. 
  • You learn stuff and get creative. I'm totally not above an enormous dollop of ketchup to get those greens down. Eliza loves straight balsamic vinegar, which I never would have known had she not seen my put it on my salad and asked for her own. 
I don't cook dinner very often, most of our meals are brought in or made with very little effort (frozen veggies thrown into a pan with shrimp and a little sauce). I'm not saying you should sit down to a homecooked meal every night. I work through dinner every Tuesday and Thursday, so Daddy and Eliza are on their own and usually that means pizza. But some meal-eating QT can really have lifelong benefits, both for your bebe AND you

No comments:

Post a Comment