Well the honeymoon period is over. I've been faced with several recipe's that have just plain bombed. My whole wheat blueberry muffins didn't go over well; the PBJ smoothie was largely untouched; the pecan maple breakfast cookies that were the choice for this morning were also not a big hit. So what's a Mom to do? Persevere my friends!! It didn't take a week for my kids to love frozen pancakes, frozen waffles, and honey nut cheerios, and I know that it is going to take a while for things to change. Am I frustrated? YES!!! Am I going to quit? Nope. Though I will admit that while wallowing in a moment of "I cannot believe that my kids will not eat this good food that I am making and don't they know it's hard because I am working everyday and this is an added thing for me to do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I came across two passages in a book that I am reading called The Cleaner Plate Club that gave me the boost I needed.
The first passage that reinforced my need to push through this frustration is simply knowing that I am what the authors refer to as the nutritional gatekeeper. If you are the person who does the majority of the shopping and meal preparation in your home then you are one too. Seeing this in print brought me directly back to one of the main reasons for starting on this journey-I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT MY KIDS EAT because I am the one who buys the food!!! Again this drove home the point that I determine what the kids are eating for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and all snacks day after day. If I present them with choices that are healthy then I am doing what is best for them. If they don't eat what is provided then that is their choice. I buy the good stuff and they see the good stuff-then they will hopefully want to eat the good stuff.
The second passage that gave me peace is the 72% rule. Simply stated, the gatekeeper is responsible for 72% of the family diet. What about the other 28%? Well quite frankly I have decided not to worry about that. I am taking the stance right now that if my kids go to a party and have a piece of cake I'm not freaking out. If I send them with a healthy lunch and they get an oreo it isn't the end of the world. Going to a family cookout (we are on Saturday) where there are going to be sweet treats? How about pushing moderation? I don't want this plan to backfire!! I don't want my kids to end up sneaking candy or feeling deprived. I want to create an environment in my home where we are eating well because it is the best thing for our bodies and minds!!! Will I be buying candy/cookies/chips? No. But do I expect the general public or extended family to make special accommodations for us? Honestly, no. I think that if we can control 72% of what we are putting into our mouths, that other 28% will even out. Wouldn't it be lovely if my kids got to the point where they just said no to junk food on their own?
So here is where I'm at today. I've hit a bump and refocused. I didn't think this would be easy (and it isn't) and I knew I would be frustrated. I wish my kids were embracing this wholeheartedly (which really means I wish that Warrior girl would eat what I am making) and for the most part they are. This is where I will insert that Miss Warrior did take a reasonable bite of the breakfast cookie before saying that she "did not care" for it. That is a baby step forward that I will take!!! I still feel really good about doing this. I know that we are all going to feel so much better!!
And thank you for the supportive comments and cool posts about what you do with your families!! I love learning from you. Keep the ideas coming.
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