by Lisa Hauf
This summer was like all summers: busy. The weeknights were filled with activities and supper was often a last-minute thought. Pizza, grilled cheese and if we had some extra minutes hamburgers and hotdogs were thrown on the grill. My husband and I would try and mix it up with BLT’s or a hotdish of some sort. But it seemed that every time we went outside the norm, we would hear the same thing from the younger two boys, “I don’t like that!”
It's good today, that grilled cheese. But what will tomorrow bring?
Lately, it doesn’t matter what we put in front of the two little ones; we always hear how they want something else. Even if they loved it last night, they don’t like it the next night. My five-year-old is getting better, but my youngest is stuck in the terrible threes. It genuinely feels defeating.
My husband used to love cooking. Heck, that is one of the reasons I was so attracted to him. He cooked while I was able to drink a glass of wine. Now we are overwhelmed with very energetic boys and preparing a meal takes major work. We get interrupted every few seconds and on a bad day, a television gets broken because we are busy cooking food instead of keeping chaos at bay. Yes, a few weeks ago, my youngest threw a slap bracelet at the television while my husband was in the kitchen, and I was out of town for a work meeting. If it’s not one thing, it’s another.
What happens when Dad is cooking supper and Mom is at a work meeting? Stuff. Stuff happens!
My husband and I agree we no longer enjoy cooking because there is a significant lack of appreciation for our efforts. (I promise you it’s not our cooking and it is the recipients of the food; at least that is what I tell myself.) Thank goodness my oldest is a great eater and always appreciates a good meal. But when he isn’t at the table with us because of activities or being with friends, we feel drained, and the joy of cooking is gone.
I suppose there is an answer to all this: Make our children sit at the table and eat or they can go to bed hungry. I get it – it’s easy to say but it’s hard for me to do. I’m not sure if forcing our kids to sit down and try the food will bring back the enjoyment of cooking, but maybe it will bring us a step closer. Time will also help. One thing I know, things don’t ever stay the same. Children grow up (way too fast) and the next thing you know they are teen boys cleaning out your fridge.
For now, we will get creative and maybe set a few more standards for the kids: No throwing toys in the house and everyone must at least try the food in front of them (with PB&J ready for backup). And when all else fails, maybe a few more glasses of wine need to be drunk while making those meals.
Hauf is NDFB Public Relations Director, wife and mother to three very busy boys!
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