-because I now admit it. I’m one of those people who obsess about the content of children’s foodstuffs consumption. We are having the healthy stuff, please. Enough greens, enough lean protein, enough whole foods, limited amounts of sugar.
If you know what I was like a couple of years ago (poor eldest child!), you know that I’ve come a long way already, they now are allowed some sweet snacks, some days. And sometimes I might even say yes to the request for “nother one hokelade”. That’s a lot of progress for me.

I still care a lot that they also eat the really good stuff alongside the things that all children love. Hence why I came up with that weird beetroot porridge recipe I devised and nobody told me that it was ridiculous and completely over the top! Except they did. In their own polite ways. Middling (the greediest one) would still finish his bowl, nevertheless hasn’t held back the professions of his dislike for beetroot at other meal time scenarios. Cooked, raw, roasted, he rejects the earthen carrot. So no more pretty – and pinctified porridge on a Saturday. After all, I do care about my reputation with them. Eldest (most diplomatic) child sometimes expresses polite concern when it’s my turn to make the Saturday “treat” breakfast…”Is it the healthy banana pancakes, mummy?” And so I sigh and give in. And let them have what really does feel like a treat.

I even went and bought some fries from Macdonalds, from a drive through the other day. It was just one bag full and we had it with our vegetable dinner, but it still did feel very wild. I let oldest child have a sip of my coke and he now knows it’s not “a type of coffee” and of course, loves it. Next, he’ll be allowed chewing gum, another one of those things I was able to keep within the adult only realm, that I’m willing to surrender. And while I realise that the tight reign of food consumption may be my own particular challenge on the road to a lifestyle that’s free from mummy’s urges and controlities, I also think that perhaps the learning curve isn’t just my own? Letting go or giving in might just take us all to the next level, right?

Hopefully, there’ll be a nice icecold and sugary coffee shake waiting there.