Day # 193 - Tales of The Traveling Cookie

My five-year old daughter, Emily, is one of those kids. She eats only what she wants, when she wants. Like most children, she can be bribed, but for the most part it's macaroni & cheese and some form of chicken nuggets. She is also not fond of breakfast, unless it's the weekend, in which case, I am sent to the store for a loaf of Cuban bread, which is served unheated and without butter. She asks for cafe con leche which she will take a couple of sips of. (For those of you not from Hialeah, cafe con leche is Cuban coffee with warm milk. It's like a cafe latte, but $2,000 cheaper.)

Last night, Abby made her outrageous chocolate chip cookies. This morning, Emily asked for one. I know, it's not appropriate breakfast food, sue me. Emily took the cookie in hand and walked all over the house, taking bites that were so small, the cookie kept its original shape. The dog eagerly followed her around, hoping for a crumb, or the whole cookie, to fall.

I am not crazy about the kids eating anywhere other than the table. It's messy, it leads to ants and other creepy-crawlies, and it's just not a good habit. I didn't give Emily too hard a time about it, but I did ask her to go to the table, which she did, only to sit there for a minute while holding the cookie in her little hand.

Parents know that most kids are picky eaters. Some, like my wife, get worked up about it. Others, like me, don't sweat it. I give my kids vitamins and they do eat non-junk foods on a regular basis. I also make sure my kids drink plenty of water. In fact, on occasions when we go to restaurants, my kids will ask for water instead of soda (most times - they're still human.)

I pick my battles because I know my children are not malnourished. I know they get everything they need. I know they are not missing anything in their lives, so I can let them have the occasional chocolate chip cookie for breakfast, or mac & cheese four times a week. Go ahead and call the department of children and families on me if you want, but the cookie stays!