Because of the fact that I don't normally have the evening's dinner planned out by 7:00 in the morning is the exact reason why I loathe the question, "What's for dinner?" If our 21 year old daughter is not calling after work to ask the question, then our little ones will ask until I come up with a dinner option that is palatable.
To combat my intuitive reaction to spout out some sarcastic response like, "crow's feet with mustard relish and a side of roasted squirrel," I came up with a plan. Although this plan took effort and time, it was a perfect solution to the seven a.m. question, the 4:00 p.m. phone call, and the first question out of our 18 year old's mouth when he came home from school.
I found large sticky notes like these and created a menu for the week. Sticking this list in a visible spot for our kids to see not only helped me to plan well for a week's worth of dinner, but the kids then knew in advance what was planned and no longer asked, "What's for dinner?" If they had a sudden urge to ask the neighbors if they had room at their dinner table for one more body, I carried on, ready to supply a bowl of cereal for those particular children.
I found large sticky notes like these and created a menu for the week. Sticking this list in a visible spot for our kids to see not only helped me to plan well for a week's worth of dinner, but the kids then knew in advance what was planned and no longer asked, "What's for dinner?" If they had a sudden urge to ask the neighbors if they had room at their dinner table for one more body, I carried on, ready to supply a bowl of cereal for those particular children.
The question asking has stopped, and, if I can figure out a way to get them to shop for all the food, prepare the meals, cook the meals, and consistently chew with their mouths closed, dinner time would be perfect. Oh, and having them do all the dishes would be helpful as well. I don't ask for much.
What are you serving for dinner?
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