Here I am again bright (nah) and early (ugh). I’m making the same mistake of asking my picky 8-year-old what he wants for breakfast. It will be Nutella or some such travesty, I’m sure of it. My 2-year-old will ask for her banana smoothie as usual, which I gladly provide. But the Nutella request will lead to the same discussion we have every time. He wants to either eat something extraordinarily unhealthy or he wants nothing at all. I mostly want him to eat something, but preferably something healthy.
You all – I’m looking at the seasoned parents here – know what it will be in the end. He eats the Nutella. Then he disdainfully takes a sniff of his part of the banana smoothie.

Why is it that most kids gravitate towards the sweet and unhealthy stuff so much? It’s an energy thing I’m sure. They want to fuel their little overly active bodies with the sustenance that provides them the most of it. Even if it doesn’t last long and then the hunt for more of those sugar-fixes starts anew.

The big question

A couple of weeks ago one of my childless friends asked me what it is like to have children. If it really is worth all the hassle. Although this is something a lot of people ask themselves at least once in their life I think, nobody ever asked me that question. So it got me thinking.

Don’t get me wrong: I greatly adore my children and would give my life for them anytime. But let me tell you, for me it is not easy being a mom. It does not come naturally to me. I always stress about doing a good job. I worry about meeting their needs and doing them justice. I am concerned about not messing them up and raising them to be emotionally sound. I want to help them become morally right adults. And at the same time I get bothered by them. They do push my buttons. Like a lot. Especially the older they get. And if you are a parent too and tell me your kids don’t, then I don’t believe you. Or you’re a saint. But mostly I don’t believe you.

Sweet stuff

What it’s like to have kids for me? It is like eating candy. If you have never in your life had something sweet to eat, you probably won’t miss it. But boy, oh boy once you’ve got your first taste of it… you’re done for. You will never be able to imagine your life without it anymore.

Kids are like candy. Once you have them, you cannot live without them anymore. You need them. You enjoy them. You love them. They give you joy and life and energy and make you happy. They have you do things you would never have thought about doing before. However, they are really bad for your health. The energy you get out of them depletes quickly and you’re left much more exhausted than you have been before. They cost money you could spend on other things. And you will never be able to quit them.

I always think about how it might be better to eat an apple while stuffing my face with chocolate. But where’s the joy in that?