No matter how seasoned you are, no matter how much experience you gain, no matter how many hours you have put in as a mother or caregiver of children, you should never, ever, EVER, let your guard down.
YOUR KIDS WILL TRICK YOU!
Every night I make dinner and every night my kiddos reject it. They come to the table with dragging feet and sagging heads. They look like they are being led to the guillotine, instead of a well stocked table where all five nutritional food groups await them.
It is really, really, really fun for me as a mom. seriously fun
But every now and then, when the stars are in alignment, my little food critics actually seem to enjoy their dinner. They nod their heads, smile, and shovel food into their faces as fast as they can.
As an under-appreciated chef, these are my best nights. I try to commit to memory what I have made, and look forward to making it again. Once I made chile relleno casserole and my girls ate so much there was none left for me. I have never been happier to starve through dinner.
However, my critics are finicky. Whenever I make chile relleno casserole now it is received as if I have offered dinner made of something that was discovered on the bottom of their shoe at the park. Needless to say, they won’t touch it with a ten foot pole!
I believed I had learned my lesson about this until a few nights again when I tried my Grandma-in-law’s fantastic Chicken Dijon recipe.
The enthusiasm (aka con job) started even before dinner. Miss 9 drifted through the kitchen to ask what smelled so good. Miss 7 took a whiff, told me I was the best mom ever and asked if she could put out the plates for me. Little did I know at the time- this was just the set up.
All through dinner, those mastermind tricksters worked their angle. When I called them for dinner they cheered like I was a rock star. There was skipping and galloping and best of all, at the table, there was actual chewing and swallowing. No eye rolling, crying, or sighing. As they gobbled the food, they complimented me and I was putty in their hands. I accepted their praise like warm sunshine on my face. I glowed. I basked in their adoration. I opened my mouth to promise them that I would make this recipe again, when I was interrupted by a strange noise from My Dear Husband.
I looked over at him. He was looking at me intently and shaking his head, sadly. “No,” he whispered. “Don’t fall for it.”
The jig was up! I realized those girls were up to their usual tricks. They weren’t eating dinner at all, they were only stocking up for the next 6 months of picky eating induced famine! Con Artists! Deceivers! Swindlers! I can’t believe I almost fell for their shenanigans!
Beware the seduction of kind words. These kiddos are playing hardball, I tell you. These are the big times and we just can’t afford to let our guard down, no matter how sweetly they smile or how craftily they bat their eyes!
Never, ever, ever EVER let your guard down!
