Today’s families are so busy that we spend a good chunk of time in the car (or minivan!). It quickly becomes our second home and we learn to eat, nap and entertain ourselves.
This can and has lead to some terrible habits. The second we get in the car I get asked for a snack. No matter how long our car trip is or what time of day it is. Seatbelt = snack time. Not only is it annoying and unnecessary, the black interior of my minivan is constantly under assault by granola crumbs and stray french fries!
“I’m soooo hungry!” I’m told by my 6 year old. (I’d suggest checking under the booster seat for a stray goldfish if you’re really starving, kid.) Or we might be out at a sibling’s soccer game, fresh off of breakfast and I get asked “did you bring me a snack?”
However, when dinnertime rolls around, the hunger seems to dissipate and it becomes a battle of wills to get any decent, non-packaged food into their sad little faces. Until all the food has been packed up and the kitchen cleaned. Then we are back to … “What can I have for a snack?” I sometimes suggest an apple, banana or orange and you’d think I asked them if they wanted to eat dirt!
There were no cupholders in the back seat of my mom’s Mustang Capri and while her purse was big enough to hold a chequebook and 87 pens, I never dared to think there was anything more than a stick of Juicy Fruit for sustenance! I’m all for steady blood sugar levels for prevention of meltdowns (for myself included), but I think the 24/7 snack-on-demand system is getting completely out of hand.
We are currently on Day 2 of the snackfood elimination… wish us luck!