Food Failures – Bad Dad

How many times in a week have you been asked, “What do you want for dinner?” or  “What do you want to eat?” It is a very common question and if you are like me you give the typical standard answer, “I don’t know what sound’s good to you?” I admit I give this answer to often. I am not sure exactly why I do this. It’s not a hard question to answer. I know I am not setting up  my child’s college fund….I am planning one meal! I have a failure to commit to food.

Bad Dad Habit

Sadly, when you have children our bad habits are easily passed on to them. I know my son is always listening to me and he is learning from what I say and do and sometimes he is learning a little to well. Recently, I learned he is developing a failure to commit to food too.

Food Stories

Our friend, Sharon, had come over to visit.  While  the adults (myself, Melissa and Sharon) were talking, Xander was in the living room playing. At some point during our conversation the subject turned towards the unthinkable, “what’s for dinner?“  Sharon thought she would try a new approach on making a food decision. She knew better than to ask me (she might actually want to get to eat at some point!) She decided she would ask my three-year-old his thoughts on dinner.

“Xander, Are you hungry?”

Xander never moved or said a word. He was doing what he does best when he doesn’t want to answer an adult, pretending they don’t exist! I,of course, know this game and put an end to his fun quickly.

“Xander Ian! Please answer Sharon. I know you heard her! You will go to your room if you don’t answer her” I state with the tone…..

Xander looked up with a sideways grin as if to let me know that I had caught on to quickly to his game and he said, “I not hungry Sharon! I not hungry momma!”

I laughed silently. He not only answered Sharon’s question but a question his momma hadn’t even asked!

Sharon thought a direct approach could work better, “Are you sure you wouldn’t like some chicken Xan?“  (his favorite food)

Xan’s feet hit the ground with a large thump as he stamped them on the floor and said, “I no like chicken.”

I was totally amazed at this point. My son likes chicken like most people like oxygen. If he could have it for every meal we would!

“What do you want then?” she asked.

Xander looked at her and rubbed his tummy, “I’m not hungry! My tummy grumbling!”

Now I was curious and had to butt in, “Xan, does your tummy hurt?”

Xander kept rubbing his tummy and gave a sad look, “Dada, it grumbling because I hungry!”

I couldn’t help myself and I laughed, “Didn’t you just tell us you weren’t hungry?”

The look of despair grew worse and he nodded his head, “Yep, I hungry now though!”

My son tries hard at being a clown. He succeeded this time because it took me a full minute to regain my composure, “Alright xan your hungry now. What would you like?” I dared to ask.

The smile on his face before he spoke told me exactly what he was going to say, “Dada, I want chicken!”

I started laughing before he even finished the sentence.

I have to try harder to commit to food! It’s not good when my 3-year-old son turns a simple dinner conversation into a non-stop humor. Truthfully, what is the worse thing that could happen if I commit to one meal!

 

1. Shock – Okay, I will admit this could be a worse case scenario. I decide on a meal and my wife goes into shock because she isn’t used to this type of behavior. I could potentially save her from a medical emergency by not deciding what, where or when to eat.

2. Bad food – I will end up being blamed if I pick the meal and my wife doesn’t like it. I don’t want to take the blame. I would rather have a shared responsibility! (even worse yet we could get food poisoning)

3. Bad service – See #2 same rules apply

4. Happiness all around Everyone might like the food but I would worry  they weren’t going to like the meal. The stress would  cause me not to eat (on the plus side it would control weight)

5. Children gone wild – Normally, our son is well-behaved when eat out. I guarantee the one time I make a choice for a meal outside our home I will wind up with a devil child. I would then never hear the end of what “my son” did.

 

We all have to eat. Who makes the final decision in your house for meals? Do you go out to eat or eat at home? Does it become a weekly struggle? Have you been able to find compromises that work for your family? Tell me in the comments!

 

As a parent, one of the things I try to teach my son is compassion. We have to have compassion for all living things. A fellow blogger and good friend of mine Amberr Meadows (Like A Bump On A Blog) has had two stray cats that adopted her and they still need some vet visits among other things.She is asking for a little help to get the cats the help they need and in exchange she is willing to promote you on her blog. Let me tell you from experience, being on her blog is something you will WANT! Amberr is one of the top bloggers around and it definitely drove traffic for me. Check it out for a good cause and get some advertising and see what a top blogger can do for you!

 

 

Tags: adults, bad habits, dad habit, failure, food challenges, food decisions, living room, new approach, unthinkable