How often do you cook? When I was first divorced Hailey was ten, she ate hardly anything so making a meal was a challenge. It seemed like everything I made was so big we would be eating the same meal for four or five nights. This did not go over well with my child. Hailey is a picky eater anyway and to try and put the same thing in front of her for dinner, night after night was asking for mutiny. There were so many new things I didn’t have time to figure this one out.
That first year we ate a lot of cereal for dinner, and macaroni and cheese, ramen noodles and ravioli. I couldn’t seem get the hang of cooking just for the two of us. I liked making a big Sunday dinner, with all the fixings. But that beautiful roast, carrots and potatoes that was so wonderful on Sunday was not very welcome on Wednesday.
The second year, we ate out, a lot. I knew all of the places that ran specials on each day of the week and could usually feed both of us dinner for under ten bucks. Now I’m not saying we ate well, just that we ate. $5 pizza will work for dinner and then breakfast the next morning, but be warned, if you make a vegetable to try to get something healthy in your child, they won’t eat it, not when they can have more pizza.
I learned a few tricks over the years, I can make several different things from one roast so it doesn’t seem like we are always having the same thing for dinner. I’ve also learned to shred any meat and freeze it, tacos, fajitas and quesadillas are all easy and quick for kids to make for themselves if the meat is ready to go.
We’ve come a long way. Now that Hailey is older I work days and she works evenings so dinner together is rare. If I know she will be home I will make a nice dinner but most of the time, its cereal for one. Good thing I like frosted flakes.