Balance Between Good Parent and Sensible Parent

I was thinking about eating habits at Disneyland the other day, and thought of an experience I wanted to share with other parents. As most may know, food is really expensive at the Disneyland Resort. Also, kids are picky. While on vacation, we tended to go by the "one a day" rule. That is, we'd have a breakfast of yogurt drinks, granola bars, fruit, a bagel, or something similar in our hotel room, know we'd have some snacks during the day, and try to get in, on average, one good meal per day. That meant a full sit-down meal, even if it was just a cheeseburger, fries and a drink. (Although, for our family, pasta is more certain to make our kids happy!) This is a reasonable strategy, and helped us keep from spending a ton of money on food.

Thinking over that though, this is not the best strategy for all kids,and sometimes wasn't the best for ours. Our kids can be really hit and miss with eating. Just because they usually like chicken nuggets doesn't mean they will today, or just because I buy a $10 cheeseburger meal does not mean they will eat it even though they like some cheeseburgers sometimes.

It feels like a good parenting thing to do to make sure the kids sit and eat a real meal. Why? Maybe the sensible thing is to let them have 2 yogurt parfaits, 3 cheesesticks, a carmel apple and milk over the course of the day. Steady input keeps their blood sugar at a more constant level, and making sure kids do not go too long without food lest crankiness set in is really important. It's also sensible to not have to argue over eating while on vacation. I don't really want to have to constantly remind my kids to eat that kid's meal I just spent $10 on and waited in line for 25 minutes for. It's not worth a fight, or the stress it will cause.

Maybe it is more important, when possible, for everyone to get something they will be happy eating, at least part of the time. If that means the adults go to a place they enjoy eating and order the kids nothing but 2 slices of cheese and some applesauce, because that is what they will eat, then so be it! Don't see 2 slices of cheese on the menu? If they have cheeseburgers, they have cheese, and most places will figure out a way to give you what you want. (Particularly at a sit-down restaurant.) Maybe the kids don't have to eat "real food" at the real restaurants. It might not be so bad for them to get just fries or dessert while the parents enjoy a nice meal, and they can have some "real food" later (or earlier). That way, the cost of a full meal for the kids is not wasted when all they do is pick at it, and everyone is much happier!

What is the point of all this rambling? Be flexible! You are on vacation. Don't force your regular eating preferences and rules into what is really an un-natural eating situation - few selections, all overpriced. Sometimes being a good parent means breaking out of the regular rules and doing what is most sensible at that moment in time.