I’m guilty! I don’t practice what I preach. I’m a total hypocrite.
Each meal I make my kids sit at the kitchen table to eat. They are not allowed to watch TV while they eat (even though we have a small under-counter one in the kitchen) and they are not allowed to play with toys at the table either. (I will allow an occasional book, because I’m a total advocate of reading) but most times I don’t even allow that. I’m the Kitchen Nazi! I’m constantly telling them sit still, pay attention to your food, don’t play with the placemat, focus on your food, less on other things. Yadda, yadda, yadda! I mean they so must NOT enjoy meal times because I’m so strict! In my mind mealtime is for eating and talking with each other. Mealtime is for enjoying the food on our table and being grateful it is there. Mealtime is a time to relax and enjoy each other’s company.
YA Right! Then why is Mommy allowed to pick up the phone when it rings at dinner? Why is Mommy allowed to play on the computer while eating lunch? Why does Mommy get to get up and stray to another project while chewing her food? Why does Mommy not have to focus and be grateful? Why does Mommy not have to relax and enjoy her meal? I’ll tell you why… the truth is I must not believe I’m as valuable as my children. I must not believe I deserve that same treatment (or what my kids would say are “rules”). Isn’t it funny how I can love and cherish my family so much and want the best for them but I am constantly leaving myself in the dust! I know it’s a Mommy problem for us all but I do know I have a choice.
The past few days I’ve been choosing to focus on sitting at the table with my family and not being distracted. I’ve been eating with my kids and listening to their stories, not jumping to answer the phone at the first ring. It can wait, the person will leave a message right? I’ve been staying away from my desk and computer while eating my lunch. I don’t need to answer those e-mails. This is a hard one for me because I think I’m multitasking but truthfully I’m not even tasting my food. Then not even an hour later I have my head in the pantry looking for a snack!
The past few days I’ve sat with my kids and really tasted and enjoyed my food. Food I worked hard to buy and then make for them. Food for our family, which includes ME! The past few days I’ve been grateful to have the opportunity to do this. The past few days I’ve put value in ME and MY meals.
Now go sit down and enjoy your meal. Focus on it. Put the phone down, they’ll call back, stop reading this (it’s really not that interesting), step back from the computer, your e-mails will still be there when you’re finished. You’ll be glad you did, I promise! Now doesn’t that taste better??
PS-Research states that people that focus on their food and meals typically weigh less than those who don’t. Now that’s food for thought!
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This is fantastic! I think we can all relate to this and can really use the reminder to avoid distracted, mindless eating.
ReplyDeleteI'll join your club of hypocrites. I am the exact same way with my family when it comes to dinner time. It's terrible! I have answered the phone while eating and continued with the conversation up to an hour after everyone else finished with dinner. Then I complain about how I don't spend enough "quality" time with my children. These last few weeks though, I have made an effort to focus on what I'm eating. It's such a small amount of food compared to before, that I need to take it slow, otherwise I finish to soon and I'm tempted to serve myself a second plate or "clean" off my kids plate. No wasting any food! No more of that for sure, that alone was at least another 500 Kcals.
ReplyDeleteGreat postings, you're funny! Keep it up. I need stuff like this to keep me from thinking about eating. When it comes to e-mails and all of the computer stuff, I was always the opposite from everyone else. I never checked my e-mails on a regular basis, somehow now I have more time. I'm not stuck in the kitchen preparing these elaborate high cal meals, and taking so many trips to the fridge, I actually have time to sit here and write about "nothing".
~Rosy~