Serving Dinner

    I had to take a deep breath as I recently heard one of my children exclaim, “I don’t like it! “  She added, “I took a bite and I just don’t like it.”

     The thing she didn’t like was a new recipe I had tried out for dinner.  I was especially disappointed since I was sure the new dish would be a winner.  In hindsight, I probably should have eliminated the black pepper and more finely chopped the broccoli.  Sigh .

     Before I became a parent, I was certain I would never fall back on typical “kid food.”  Now, more and more, I find myself making a quick pot of macaroni and cheese or tossing some chicken nuggets in the oven.  It isn’t that my children won’t eat what is on their plates.  It’s simply that it is much more pleasant to eat when everyone is excited about what is on the table. 

     So in between both failed and successful attempts at new meals, as well as both encouraging and requiring my kids to try new foods, I serve waffles, eggs, hamburgers, spaghetti, grilled cheese and other such simple fare.  At the end of the day, a happy family gathered around the dinner table while eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches is much nicer than a gourmet meal accompanied by much whining. 

    Have you changed what you serve for dinner since children joined your daily dinner party?