Three Responses To An Undesirable Dinner

I wasn't feeling particularly hungry tonight, so I pulled from my freezer a one skillet, heat and serve type meal for the kids. I don't usually make this type of thing as I prefer to cook from scratch, but occasionally, when Paul is on shift, I take the easy road with soup, noodles, or (as in this case) a skillet meal. It was an Asian type dish with veggies and orange chicken. It sounded appealing to me at the store.


My kids disagree...


Jenna: she sits quietly, eating little bites, but spending more time drinking her milk than consuming any solid food. She conveniently drops her cup. She moves the food around her plate. Still, very little eating happening.


Ben: from the first moment he laid eyes on the food he exclaims, "You know I don't like that!" Yes, he is my vocal one. I put his plate on the table and tell him he needs to eat anyway. "I can't eat this. I'm going to be sick," he tries next. I give him a matronly speech about how it is a good life lesson to learn how to eat things you don't like, because it is bound to happen to him when he is grown up. It goes in one ear and out the other as he tries excuse after excuse, "I'm not hungry. I'm tired. These vegetables are hurting my shoulder." He even tries riling up Jenna (who is still drinking her milk and playing with her food). He turns his plate and fork into a percussion section. ANYTHING but eat his food. Tears ensue...


Emily: she hears Ben's initial proclamation and sagely replies, "You've never had this before. You don't know...you should try it." She is eating, but not saying much. I notice she is drinking lots of water. I think she refills her cup four or five times. She tells me about another type of food she doesn't like, and her method for eating it. I finally ask her if she likes it and she shrugs her shoulders noncommittally. She finishes relatively quickly. A little while later she comes to me as I am cleaning up in the kitchen and says, "Thanks for dinner, Mom." I reply that she is welcome, somewhat surprised that she has thanked me at all. "There are some kids in the world that don't have dinner at all!" she says and goes on her way. (I am inwardly trying not to laugh at this last comment as she has just politely classified this meal as one step above starvation!!!)


Jenna: still playing without eating.


Ben: mysteriously falls off his chair, crying like a victim. Gagging. Drinking water. Belching.


Jenna: laughing at her brother, babbling to herself.


An hour and fifteen minutes later, everyone is done. The food is dutifully eaten. I held my resolve to the end. I sigh with relief and mentally ban all orange chicken skillet meals from now on!