Our Children’s “Nutritional Whims” and Supermarket Wobblies

Most days I feel a level of inspiration and intestinal fortitude that enables me to gracefully handle any ‘nutritional whim’ my children may throw at me.  By nutritional whims, I mean the requests or demands your child makes for particular food items.

Some days your child will be happy with a simple response such as “No sweetheart, not today”, but other days they will make a demand with such vigour that it throws you. You may find yourself saying, ” No darling, you can’t have that”, then again, “No sweetheart let’s go home and have something to eat”. You may even say  “No”  firmly ten times…

However, it’s just when their little voice starts to spiral towards ranting madness, just as more and more people turn to stare at you contending with your toddler, who has now thrown themselves on the floor, that you may just find yourself saying “Oh fine – have it then – just get up and keep quiet!”

Some days you just want to grab their object of desire and tip-toe the hell out of there.

We’ve all been there, at one time or another.

My children (aged 10, 8, 5 and 2) have all tried at times to challenge me in the supermarket (yes I am one of those silly mothers who takes them shopping) and 90% of the time – they loose fair and square.

I’m known to respond to supermarket banter such as,”mum can we have………………???????????” with

– “Well is it organic darling??”

or

– “Do you think that is going to be very good for your body?”

or

– “Does it look like God would make something with those hideous colours?”

or for my now 8 year-old;

– “Remember the last time you tried those and it made you go all “coo-coo” in the head. You went completely silly and got really cross with everyone? So, not today buddy”

or

– “Well – you check the ingredients list sweetheart, does it have lots of e-numbers?”

It is not the looks on my children’s faces that amuses me (I’m used to those), but the looks on other mother’s faces as they watch us and then hestitate picking up those multi-coloured icy poles.

If my children really push me after I have responded with one of the above responses and “no” at least a few times, I have been known to respond with something along the lines of  “no my love, I have already said NO we cannot buy that ………. (for example chicken nuggets) because they are filled with antibiotics and hormones that will give you man-boobs and you will end up having to wear a bra like mummy does. Would you like that ??”

That kept them quiet!!!

Interestingly, we must have convinced our eldest son about the over-use of “milk and calcium proganda” because he argues with his teachers about not really needing milk for strong bones. God bless him.

It is a curious thing, how even if your child has just eaten, when they enter a supermarket they will demand food with such fervour it would seem like you never feed them. Here’s a tip for you – head to the health food section of the supermarket first and open a packet of crackers/ fruit bars/ organic dried fruit and get them going with something so that you can have a little peace.

Make it fun.

Happy shopping and good luck.