As I attempted to send my daughter back to her tiny rental suite in Vancouver laden with Thanksgiving leftovers, I realized how the B次元官网网址減rovision of foodB次元官网网址� is such a primal part of parenting.
The offer was gently rebuffed: B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 have enough arms to carry another bag!B次元官网网址� (I handed it to her friend). Luckily, IB次元官网网址檇 dropped off a massive bin full of supplies a few days earlier, so I wasnB次元官网网址檛 concerned (yet) that she would starve.
ItB次元官网网址檚 primal and itB次元官网网址檚 inherited; I remember leaving my parentsB次元官网网址� home topped up with leftovers and bits of random groceries. In fact my mom rarely visits today without bringing a container of home-baked cookies or a bag of coffee that she B次元官网网址渏ust wonB次元官网网址檛 use.B次元官网网址�
Sending my adult kids off with a few groceries is so much easier than all those years of packing school lunches. My lunch-making angst began early, all the way back to the daycare years. For months, IB次元官网网址檇 blithely gone about the morning routine of packing diaper bag, snack and lunch. I had no inkling I might be causing permanent damage to the psyche of my firstborn until the caregiver finally took me aside.
She explained that all the other children brought snacks in lunchboxes with little handles, colourful Disney characters and matching thermoses. DanicaB次元官网网址檚 lunch merely arrived in a paper bag and she might be feeling left out. I was horrified in the way that only first-time parents can understand. I couldnB次元官网网址檛 bear the suffering my child had silently endured.
Judging by the stories that have circulated the news in the past year or so, creating school lunches has become trickier than ever. IB次元官网网址檓 sure every lunchbox-packing parent shuddered at the story of the mom who was threatened with a fine in Winnipeg because she failed to include a B次元官网网址済rainB次元官网网址� in her childB次元官网网址檚 balanced lunch. That lunch apparently did include roast beef, potatoes, carrots and an orange. Then there was the British primary school student sent home after teachers discovered a bag of Mini Cheddars in his lunch, a violation of the schoolB次元官网网址檚 health and balanced meal policy.
Although I worked hard to create lunchbox masterpieces, IB次元官网网址檓 glad there were no lunch police back then. I didnB次元官网网址檛 need anyone else hovering around taking notes. The food had to be healthy; it had to be something they would eat and B次元官网网址� the biggie B次元官网网址� it had to be available in either the fridge or cupboards. The more empty the fridge, the more B次元官网网址渃reativeB次元官网网址� the lunches.
Some mornings, the father of my children scoffed at my lunchbox anguish, breezily claiming he could easily throw together a mere lunch or two. I smiled kindly, continued making the meal and hoped to God that I never died and left him in charge of our childrenB次元官网网址檚 lunches. In those days, I worked late most Monday nights, leaving him to make dinner. Danica and Sierra did not always appreciate his B次元官网网址済ourmetB次元官网网址� touch. Once, when he had created some sort of odd, raisin, pasta and pickle juice dish, he set a plate down in front of each child. Five-year-old DanicaB次元官网网址檚 eyes widened in disbelief as she observed her dinner.
B次元官网网址淭his,B次元官网网址� she said, outraged, B次元官网网址渋s bullshit!B次元官网网址� ItB次元官网网址檚 tough to chide a child for language when youB次元官网网址檙e suppressing laughter. When I got home and observed the food, I had to agree with her sentiment.
However, I guess I should have given him some slack. Just because the provision of food is B次元官网网址減rimal,B次元官网网址� doesnB次元官网网址檛 mean itB次元官网网址檚 going to be good.
B次元官网网址� Susan Lundy
