As much as we may want to live in denial, we are about to enter what I like to call treat season, that time of year from Halloween through New Years when there are seemingly endless supplies of sweet treats. This is a time of year that used to stress me out both because of my own treat consumption and because I felt like I was in a constant state of negotiation with my kids. In the past two years, though, I have not found it nearly as stressful and I wanted to share with you the things that I have done that I think have been helpful, both for myself and for my kids….
Store-Bought Popsicles for My Son’s Birthday: A story of letting go of perfection
My eldest son turned 7 this past Monday and so there was a birthday celebration for him at school. Last year I brought in watermelon “pizza” topped with fresh fruit and shredded coconut, it was beautiful and the kids loved it. This past week, however, was very hectic including weekend travel, a car that died, and house guests and I just did not have time to make something special from scratch, so I brought in store-bought popsicles and I don’t feel guilty about it….
Managing Food Buffets (with Kids)
We just got back from a week with the grandparents at an all-inclusive resort (Thanks, Vovô and Vovó!). If you have never been to one before, part of what that means is absolutely enormous buffets of food. This is a type of eating that I haven’t had much experience with. Other than the cafeterias in college (which did not go very well for me!) and ones at weddings and conferences, I really haven’t been to many buffets and I definitely hadn’t been to many with my kids. So the prospect of this was really quite daunting—I actually lay awake at night before the trip thinking about how I was going to handle it. …
How to Handle Summertime Treats
Summer is such a wonderful time of year. The days are longer. Exciting activities are available almost everywhere you look. And it is a time of celebrations and gatherings with family and friends. All of this is fun and wonderful, but it can also be a minefield of tricky food situations. It is hard to say no to your kids when you are all in the midst of having a good time. You don’t want to face the tantrums and you don’t want to be the mean parent. On the other hand, it is also stressful to watch them ruin their dinner for what feels like the 5,000th time, to see them fill up on “junk.” …