Picky Eaters

I can't say I suffered any amount of "empty nest syndrome."  By the time the "chicks had flown the roost," I was ready for a quieter, cleaner, less hectic and crowded home environment.  The best part, however, was no longer having to deal with picky eaters everyday.

Jim always says he'll eat anything, which isn't true.  For example, he hates eggplant and mint.  However, in general, Jim will eat whatever I serve with no complaints and a lot of appreciation.  That wasn't the case with my two children.  One didn't like spicy foods and always wanted their food segregated, no casseroles.  The other favored more adventurous meals, the hotter the better.  It drove me crazy!  The last thing a mom wants to hear after making a meal after working 8-10 hours is "yuck" or "I don't like this."  And never hearing "thanks mom."

And now I have two picky-eater grandsons.  To avoid getting majorly frustrated, I've learned to put little effort into their snacks and meals.  And, yet, I still get complaints. Jonah cried during most of this morning's 30-minute walk because he didn't like the snack being served. What kid doesn't like butter or graham crackers?

There's just no winning with picky eaters.  So, after working hard to get toddler and preschool Elliott to eat healthier with little success, I told Emily I'm not doing that with Jonah.  For the most part, at grandma's, the boys only get what they've been known to eat. Yet, like this morning, even that doesn't always work out.  At least I didn't make the butter and graham crackers from scratch!

I hear there are people with children who will eat, or at least try, anything.  I would love to meet them.  For me, it looks like I'll be dealing with picky eaters, again, for another 17 years.