Enjoying the crust

I’ve made it a priority to try to instill in my kids the value of good nutrition. Of course to this point, they are oblivious of the idea, but they do know what foods are good and what is good for them.

Most of the time I plan the menu, but other times, I give them a choice. And it is amazing to me what my kids will choose to eat, given the right guidance.

I can remember when our oldest was starting out on table food. I came home from work one day and his sitter told me that he had eaten all the crust off of her sandwich. He didn’t want the center; just the crust. I thought, “All the good stuff is in the middle. Why would he want that tough old crust?” Whatever his reason or motivation, he was a great example for his little brother, and we now have two kids who choose the crust, without question.

Just the other day as I was feeding the baby, he began to get antsy as he often does when the food doesn’t come fast enough. I started tossing him little bits of bread—like a duck on a pond. He has no teeth to speak of, so bread is as good a choice as any for the kid when he needs something to do with his hands during meal time. I noticed that as I tossed the bread onto his tray, he was trying something new. The little guy began picking up his bread by smushing his finger on top of it, and (since the bread was fresh) it stuck. He was able to get that bread right into his mouth and entertain us both in the process.

It was a “first”. Not a first step or a first word, but a first just the same. It was a clear indication that my little guy was learning to test his creative skills and think outside the box, even at 14 months old. And while on the surface this may not appear to be a huge milestone, to a mother, it is the beginning of little hands and minds learning to be independent and self sufficient.

With kids graduating almost daily this time of year, I cannot count the number of moms and dads who have looked at my children longingly for the days when their six foot senior was toddling around with a mouth full of dirt or a finger up his nose. I will certainly be one of those mothers in just a few short years.

So, even amidst of the daily insanities of dirty diapers and mud-covered feet, I am determined to teach our boys to look for the things in life that are good, and good for them. I’m glad they’re not afraid to try the things that to others seem crusty and tough. The “good stuff” will be their reward.

I know these days will be gone before I can clean the poop off the bottom of one kid’s shoes or wipe the snot from his brother’s face. There’s much work to be done to prepare them for independence and self-sufficiency. But for now we’re trying really hard to take things one day at a time and doing our best to enjoy the crust.

And that’s “All in a day’s work!”