Pick Your Battles

With my husband on his new healthy lifestyle plan, the girls and I have adopted many of his new eating habits.

For example:

• we tried Quinoa for the first time, and I ended up making a really yummy chicken, quinoa, mushroom & peppers dish which we all loved.
• we have switched from white bread to Low GI Wholewheat bread. I really thought they would kick off and refuse to eat it because, you know “it has bits in it”, but they haven’t even noticed – I don’t think.
• they eat far more fruit than they used to, and I promote fruit or raw veg snacks instead of sweets with no arguments from them.

But … as with every thing in life as a parent, before I can get too cocky about any of this, they feel the need to remind me of my place – parent/slave/substandard-chef.

So last night I cooked them a small portion of rice, just enough for the two of them. It was to go with some beef mince (ground beef) which I packed with carrots, peppers, tomato and onion, I even added a tiny bit of curry powder just to make it even more yummy, but not spicy (because you know, kids!), while we were to eat it in lettuce parcels with some low-fat cheese.

So at around 17.00 I literally can’t take the whining due to hunger pains anymore, I mean it’s been a whole 45 minutes since their afternoon snack, I’m obviously attempting to starve them to death. Failing that, I decide to feed them. They both rush over as I am platting up for them, and then the whining starts:

Eldest [5] (who helped me prepare the food) – “Yuk, I’m not eating that! I just want rice. No mince! Yuk! I’m not touching that disgusting stuff!”

Youngest [3] – “I want rice, and mince but don’t let the mince touch the rice, and I don’t want carrots, or peppers or onions so you must pick them out!”

I stood there for a good thirty seconds with a horrified look on my face, their little faces staring back at me, defying me, contorted into such a look of disgust that you’d imagine I’d dished up dog sh*t!

My first thought was, let them starve.

Me second thought was, I can’t believe I have raised such spoilt, ungrateful little brats, it wasn’t meant to be like this, where did I go wrong? I hate my life.

So, without a word I calmly boiled the kettle, made some instant gravy, poured it over the eldest’s dry rice in a bowl; then I got a plate out and dished a portion of rice on one side and a portion of mince on the other making sure they were not touching each other!  I sat them at the table, turned on My Little Pony, and left them to it.

I then walked straight back into the kitchen, got out the biggest wine glass I owned, poured it right up to the very top with my cheap box wine  (cardbordeaux), and attempted to block out the reality of being an underappreciated slave to my self righteous offspring.

I can actually feel the judgment seeping in right now. It sounds like this:

You should have let them starve. Why didn’t you make them eat what you told them to? It’s your own fault, you have no control over your children! Alcohol is not the answer! How can you let them eat in front of the TV? You’re a bad mother.

Yup, all true. Except that last part.

Sometimes, just sometimes you actually have to give in, pick your battles, and walk away! Be the adult. Maintain your own sanity any way you can.

How did it end?

They both ate all their food, apart from the pile of rice I had to clean up off the floor because a) they continuously drop their spoons on the floor and b) we don’t have a dog.

Motherhood – the hardest job in the world.

Update on my husband’s progress – he has so far lost 12.6Kgs since the 1st of January, and dropped at least one size of trousers, his stress level is lower, and he’s got more energy than he used to. Very proud wife.

Me? I haven’t stopped eating for two days so that 0.5kg I’d lost has not doubt rebounded back twice!

Swings & roundabouts my friends, swings & blady roundabouts!

Anyway, that was my Monday. And now today is only Tuesday. Will this week ever end?