"Mom, We Have Nothing To Eat"

Here is a typical scenario in my home:

I go grocery shopping

Come home and put groceries away

Walk out of kitchen

Hubby and kids swarm the kitchen to see what was bought

Next thing I know I am bombarded with “mom can I have this?”

Then within a few days I hear “mom we have nothing to eat.”

I look in the fridge and pantry and see many items to eat except the items are not what the kids want to eat.

In order to fix this end of the world “we do not have anything to eat” problem I will be making some changes. The first change is with me. I need to ensure that I am not saying yes whenever the kids ask for a snack. I do not mean that they cannot have a snack, but like adults, kids eat when they are bored. A good friend of mine has set times for snacks for her four kids. The kids know that it is snack time at 3pm. Do not worry my kids will not go hungry. I will ensure they are always fed. I have also caught myself saying yes when I am in the middle of doing a chore or schoolwork and not even thinking about what exactly they asked for. I then find myself saying “ugh I need to really pay more attention.”

Then there are some items that I buy that the kids will consume in one day if they could. To fix this problem I tell them that they are allowed one a day or one every other day (this is already in place). Finally, I will make a list of snacks that the kids can have daily. This allows the kids to choose what they would like and it brings responsibility. Responsibility by knowing that certain items can only be consumed once a day or every other day so they should choose wisely.

Not only will these changes help keep our food budget on track but it will also teach the blessings how to make things last longer.

I am sure I will still hear this statement but with these changes it may eliminate how often I hear it…..