Sometimes, I am genuinely surprised that my children seem to be getting more and more logical with age, since I genuinely seem to be getting less.
Yesterday morning I heard myself say the following:
“No, you can’t have an ice-cream sandwich for breakfast, you need to have something else that’s not junk and a breakfast food…how about a Pop-Tart?”.
Now, thank God my 3-and-a-half-year-old isn’t really that logical, or he would have called me out on the inane reasoning I had just given him. He simply began whining after hearing the word “no”.
I, however, was embarrassed for and appalled at myself for a number of reasons:
1) That the statement made absolutely no sense, nutritionally.
2) That I made such a ludicrous statement with such conviction and authority, only to realize how stupid it actually was.
3) That, somehow, Pop-Tarts have categorized themselves in my brain under “healthy breakfast food”.
Now while this whole interaction only took about 4 seconds to occur before my son was on to attempting other negotiations involving microwavable popcorn, fruit roll-ups and marshmallows, it has really stuck with me today.
Are my children becoming more logical with age only because they are siphoning logic from me, one temper tantrum at a time?
Did I just teach my 3-year-old that Pop-Tarts are a member of the 4 food groups? (There are 4 right? Or is it 5? I honest-to-God don’t even know).
Do I need to leave more time in the morning to cook them eggs and toast with a side of fruit every single day?
Out of ice-cream sandwiches, microwavable pop-corn, fruit roll-ups and marshmallows, which one would be the healthiest to eat for breakfast? (I think it’s the popcorn. Definitely not the marshmallows).
Starting tomorrow, I’m going to try my best to leave enough time to make them eggs and toast in the mornings. They do usually eat a ton of fruit anyway, but obviously, I have allowed Pop-Tarts to make their way into my sons’ regular choice of breakfast foods far too often.
So what else is a mom to do, in order to help her children start their days off right, then to go into the pantry right now and take care of any Pop-Tarts that might still be in there? (And by take care, I mean eat. We don’t waste good food in this house).
I do it all for love.
January 16, 2013 at 2:11 am
After making them breakfast, come make mine. I do plan to sleep in though as we both are sick. J
Sent from Joan Aher
January 16, 2013 at 12:03 pm
Ugh, sorry your guys are not feeling well. It went through our house this past weekend too:(
January 16, 2013 at 3:11 am
ha. I’ve done the same thing. I wish I could get the energy to make my kids a healthy breakfast too. I settle for instant oatmeal as the healthy alternative. But, considering that the Strawberries n cream flavor contains neither strawberries (it is food-colored apples in case you are wondering) or cream, it’s probably no better than that pop tart.
January 16, 2013 at 12:05 pm
Glad to know I’m not alone in this one! However, this morning, I successfully made Boy#1 eggs and toast with a side of blueberries and Boy#2 homemade oatmeal with blueberries. Apparently this morning, they are “not that hungry”. ARRGH!!!!
January 16, 2013 at 11:38 am
Once again…….Love it!!!!!
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January 16, 2013 at 12:05 pm
Thanks Erin:)
January 16, 2013 at 3:19 pm
Pop tarts contain fruit, or at least a heavily processed goo that resembles fruit…Close enough! Sadly, I see the logic in your argument…. I once let E eat cheez-its for breakfast. (Ok maybe it was twice) Don’t be so hard on yourself, this motherhood business is a tough gig, one of the perks is that you get to make your own rules of logic as it relates to breakfast choices and like it or not kids have to accept it. When they have their own brood they can carry on the tradition of making up assenine rules, just like their parents did!
January 16, 2013 at 5:21 pm
Thanks KP…..the next time he asks for Cheeze-its for breakfast (which we have and which he’s asked for before)….I’ll pour some in a blow and say, “hey, KP does it and she’s family”…..:)