Dinner Time!! ~ "Monsters in my room!!"

Growing up, one of my fondest memories was sitting down to eat dinner with my family every night. Although life was hectic and everyone had a busy schedule we always found time together at 6:00.(God help us if we were late :) I really look forward to having the same tradition with my own family.

Dinner time right now with young kids is just a challenge and most nights its just surviving it. Andy gets home from work at 7:00 and that's just tooooo late to feed the babies. The kids are also too big for boosters now so dinner usually consists of "Please don't get up from the table" x 20 (per kid)... I recently implemented a 6:00-6:30 dinner rule... if they are too busy goofing off to eat their dinner...despite warnings that clean up is at 6:30...the plates are removed and dinner is over. I don't budge on this rule... a few nights I have been begged for food come bed time ..."nope sorry,...dinner was at 6:00...you may have more food in the morning"... hence why they are eating so nicely in the pictures :) lol... I think the battle was about choices...kids always seem to do the opposite of what the parent wants. When given an easy choice I think they feel more empowered (thus more easily persuaded...ha! :) they could play quietly in there room if they said that they weren't hungry...or eat with the family...during dinner time. I would rather not battle about food... I think forcing a child to eat when they say they aren't hungry is setting them up for food issues down the road. I know my kids get enough to eat... this is about empowering them to make the choice that wont leave them hungry at bedtime. (and leave me with more hair on my head :)

So I get called to the rescue tonight... up until now, I thought that bed monsters were just a cliche kid thing... nope!...My 4 year has one under his bed..(wink wink...just a ploy to get me to snuggle with him) So I come in and in his very animated 4 year old voice describes how this monster came out from under his bed and made... this face... really this exact face :)
So appeasing his crazy imagination I went with it... (I know... that's a terrible idea....(snicker) ...soooo after checking under the bed and in the closets.."nope, nope...I think there gone.". I got just as intense as he was being... "Max!" ..."Yes mommy, what is it????"... "I have JUST the thing for your monster problem!"... "REALLY???? what is it!!" ... "I have a magic green bracelet that will keep you safe!" I pulled off my rubber green glow in the dark bracelet from my wrist and showed it to him... .... .... "How's it work?" ... "Well, I need to charge it up for the night and it will be good to go." ... I held up the rubber bracelet to the light bulb in his room and turned out the lights. "look max, the magic inside the bracelet will keep you safe from monsters..." "Wooooooow...thats cooool!"... "Goodnight mommy!"

(grin)