Expect the Unexpected; Dinner Time
A few months ago, I thought it would be a great idea to put together a blog of some quick and easy slow cooker meals that your children will love! I mean, it sounds so nice, right? I bought all of the ingredients over a couple weeks span and got to cooking. I made recipe after recipe. The plan was to have all of my five kids rate each recipe. That way all of you could have an idea of what your kids might enjoy as well.
As those couple weeks went by, I realized this whole blog was failing miserably. My kids were constantly complaining that they didn’t like the spaghetti cooked a new way, in a crockpot instead of on the stove. They also did not enjoy or appreciate the macaroni cooked with nicer cheeses. They began refusing to eat it and all of these recipes that I put so much thought into. My husband and I ended up eating them all by ourselves. We loved them, but the kids definitely did not.
I felt so defeated at that point. All I wanted was for the perfect blog with the perfect recipes. Instead of wallowing in pity, I decided to completely change course. I came up with a new idea that would (hopefully) empower the kids and help them love what they are eating! Maybe this too would create a little bit less stress for me. Turns out this really worked, and I think it just might for you too.
It’s Okay to Fail
It’s a taken me a long time to be okay when things aren’t going the way I plan. Things almost never go according to plan with children. They are often finicky about things, and when you have multiples, you have multiple opinions to go along with each situation. It can be infuriating for us parents. We might cry or scream or just simply be irritated for some time afterwards.
I could go on and on about all the different things that have gone wrong just in the last couple weeks, and I’m sure you could too. The difficult part about failing is learning that it’s gonna be okay afterwards. Learning to breathe through those moments, then figuring out another option can be extremely helpful in parenting. Failing isn’t the end all be all, but rather a chance to begin something new.
New Dinner Routine
Dinner time routines may not be as big of a deal as other things that parenting throws at us, but it is a big deal when you’re a mom who has plenty of things already on her plate. Hopefully this idea helps more than just our family.
Every Friday night one kid gets dinner routine, rotating which kids turn it is. That child picks the dinner we are going to have, helps put together a grocery list, helps cook, and helps clean up afterwards. They can choose their favorite spaghetti, lasagna, tacos, or whatever their heart desires for the moment.
They are the only ones helping make that dish for the family. Nobody else is allowed in the kitchen, and I’ve noticed this is a game changer. There is no arguing over who gets to pour which ingredient in, or who gets to stir something. They get full authority in what they are making and how it is going to get done.
What If…
I’m sure I already know what you’re thinking, because it’s already happened with us. What if the other children don’t like the meal that was made? Unfortunately that happens in my household all the time. Personally, we just tell them they have to try it, and then if they don’t like it after that, they gotta go fix their own dinner. Because of this rule we made, most of the kiddos just end up eating what their sibling cooked.
Empowering Your Kids
This method has the ability to empower my kids to be decisive, creative, and learn to make a home cooked meal. Hopefully by the time they move out of the house, they are more prepared as to how to make a grocery list, how much things cost, have the knowledge on how to make themselves food instead of always eating out, and feel joy over cooking their own food.
Our jobs as parents include so many things, and one of those is empowering them to be their best selves. It is truly rewarding watching your kids learning something new, especially when you are the one to be able to teach them.
