Surrendering to Motherhood

I find myself frequently thinking about this Boston Globe article from February 2010 about "surrendering" to motherhood. There is so much truth to this article and it reaffirms that the more we let go and try not to let the little frustrations of parenthood get to us, the more we will enjoy the experience. Easier said than done for sure, but a goal worth aspiring to nonetheless.

Along these lines, I was recently inspired by a blog post by Patti at Jazzy Mama. A homeschooling mother of four little ones in Toronto, Patti wrote about offering a wide assortment of dinner options to satisfy the divergent tastes of her family members. I was really struck by her approach. I often get frustrated, particularly at dinnertime, if the kids don't eat what I prepare. Patti's approach is so refreshing in simply "surrendering" to our picky ones by offering a broad array of healthy food choices and hoping that at least one is appealing to each eater. She admits that even this approach doesn't always work, but I am incorporating her idea of being more flexible with meal options and it is making everyone, but especially me, much happier.

I think the key thing to remember, as the Globe article reminds us, is that childhood is temporary. Kids grow up, gain independence, and eventually widen their food preferences. In the meantime, surrendering to parenthood and its vicissitudes can create a much more peaceful household-- especially at dinnertime.