I recently made a decision that I have to feed myself food that actually helps me feel good. I didn't want to be one of those parents that made different meals for all the family members, so I've fallen out of the habit of making myself feel-good food. Why might this happen?
It's EXHAUSTING to suss out how to work around the notoriously picky eating habits of my sweet Baby Femme. It ended up being easier for me to fix things that she likes than telling her, "go hungry if you don't want what I make." Battling the hangry 4 year old is not on my list of favorite things.
I feel like a failure. I feel like a bad parent. I feel tired all the time.
So, I decided that I would just make food that fuels me and sparks my energy. And my kid can eat that other stuff that I can't eat any longer.
She might come around. She might not. We're different people with different needs for our bodies. I just know that I can't be the kind of parent I want to be if I can't get out of bed.
I know how it feels to have a plan for parenting that has to be scrapped or modified because the individual you are parenting won't get with the program. I think you have chosen well, given the choices. Yes, you have to be able to get out of bed. It's easier to parent when you have energy and health. Keep offering Baby Femme an opportunity to eat from your side of the menu and have her favorites available as well. Her tastes will change and bodies have a way of telling us what they need. Hers will, too.
ReplyDeleteYou are a great parent. Modeling self-care and healthy choices is part of that.