Stacey’s Mayhem Management Tip #3

In a day and age when nutrition is all the rage, and fast food joints are pressured into providing “healthy alternatives” to their kid’s meals, I loudly declare, “Fries and soda, please” to any well meaning cashier.

Why in heaven’s name would I offer my children such horrid food? My sanity is at stake here, people.

I try my very hardest not to frequent fast food restaurants so often that they know me by name. I make an effort to avoid the grease and whatnot and I keep my kids active. But, when offered the choice, I know what my kids will say. Fries and soda, please.

My sister, who was over for a play date and some lunch, and I giggled over this as we were feeding our horde of children lunch at home. My older children were off snow-boarding with their father, but even so, we had 7 children 6 and under between the two of us. There are two 6 year olds (her oldest is ALMOST 6, so I count her), a 3 year old, a 2 year old and three 1 year olds. (Yes I said three. My sister thought she’d be cool and have twins!)

Now what, pray tell, do you feed a horde of toddler like people? You never know what they might actually be willing to eat. That’s one of the great mysteries of parenthood. So, I offered, amidst much giggling by the adults in the room, a toddler appropriate lunch.

Chocolate sandwiches. Apple slices. Some jelly for any interested party. (There were none.) Fried cheese sticks. Some chips.

I know. We are the picture of healthy eating.

And for the adults in the crowd, well, we drowned our parenting sorrows giggles in some good old fashioned caffeine!

The children called the fried cheese chicken. You gotta know that’s a bad sign.

That was some yummy chicken!

But amidst the giggles, there was the seriousness of why certain fast food restaurants are so popular and why, on occasion, neither of us mind offering our children a horrid lunch. They offer our children entertainment, a new toy, little clean up and no cooking. Find me a mother that doesn’t find all of those things terribly appealing!

Sometimes Mayhem Management is more about survival and sanity than healthy food choices.

I’m happy to report that all toddler-like people in our care did actually eat lunch. (Chocolate sandwiches are TOO lunch.)

Plus the level of entertainment provided by the situation provided a good healthy laugh for a couple of adult conversation-starved mothers!

So next time you declare, “Fries and Soda, please”, just know you aren’t alone!

What are your secrets of lunch? What are you afraid to admit? Come on, I know there’s something!

Stay tuned for next week’s Mayhem Management. I am planning a two-part series all about kids and chores!