Dinner Boot Camp

Tonight at dinner I realized that I have failed.  Part of my new year resolution was to try and have a family dinner at least once a week.  That does not seem difficult, but it also does not happen.  Maybe because we are all going different directions, maybe it is because I just know it will be a disaster, or maybe I just am too lazy to try and get everything ready by 6:00 pm.

In any event, the resolution has not happened and I don't think we have sat down together for one meal except for the occasional McDonald's run.

I decided this morning on the treadmill that I am going into "dinner boot camp" mode.  This does not mean that I am going to be unrealistic and think we will sit down for a meal (even one time a week), but I am going to try hard to give my sons the tools that they would need to not only eat their vegetables/try something new, but also have conversations during meals.

Here is the "bootcamp" plan:

Step 1:  Once the meal is served make them say some sort of thanks for serving them food (I know that I am their parent and it is my job, but that does not mean that they should not be thankful, right?)

Step 2: Make them finish a vegetable I know that they will eat (even if that means bribing) .  I am not saying I am going to make them finish their kale the first time I serve it, but I know for a fact that Wip will eat his peas. I need to force it. I am tired of throwing away uneaten peas.  There is no reason that I should not make him finish the darn peas (even if that means giving him a Ranger cookie)

Step 3:  If the meal is "new" make them try at minimum of three bites.  I am awful about just "letting it go" and not making them eat if they don't like something.  Three bites does not seem like something that I will have to cut off my arm to get them to do, right?

Step 4: Talk about their day.  Each person during a meal time (including Duncan, ha ha ha) has to say something that they liked or did not like about the day.

Ok, so there it is, I put it out there...now lets see how it goes:)

This is a boy who finished all of his peas tonight

This is a boy who did not