Whatever Wednesdays

Whatever Wednesdays is very popular in our house. Basically it’s a night off from the usual dinnertime routine of trying to get everyone to eat a balanced, healthy diet.

“More spray on whipped cream with your sprinkles?” –“Whatever!” I say in my happiest, most satisfied tone. (My son has the SoyaToo Rice Whip–my daughter has Natural By Nature Classic Whipped Cream. It is spray on whipped cream but it is certified organic, kosher AND gluten free.)

“Another lollipop?” my son says. “Whatever!” I happily respond.

Done with that soup after a few bites–“Whatever!” is my answer on Wednesday evenings.

It’s kind of nice to turn the tables on your kids once a week. If you say “whatever” just when they expect you to say “eat your veggies…” things get interesting.

Tonight, my kids had fun playing “fancy restaurant” and serving each other plated fruits and vegetables. My daughter even cleared the table pretending to be the waiter. I didn’t have time to cook because Whatever Wednesdays falls after a late playdate, so we had some homemade chicken soup and matzah crackers made from dough that I had in the fridge with cucumbers, carrots and berries.

It’s great to have a few things in the fridge that can easily become simple simple meals during the week. Because I don’t actually prepare an elaborate meal on Wednesdays, it is easier to let things unfold and not get too focused on what anyone is–or isn’t eating.

It is also good to experiment and try different approaches because sometimes kids eat more (veggies, fruits as well as spray whipped cream!) when the focus is more on fun and less on food.

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Note: I actually did stop my son from having a second lollipop for a second, but then I decided it wasn’t in the spirit of Whatever Wednesdays and allowed him to have the second blow pop his friend had given him. WHATEVER!