The Great Hunger-Determiner

Bananas: Not really my favorite food.

But they're a great hunger determiner!

Last night reminded me of one parenting frustration - hungry kids at bedtime. I made a HUGE meal last night: homemade refried bean burritos with chicken and all the fix-ins, with corn, watermelon, pineapple, and chips, salsa and guacamole. There was PLENTY of food, and finishing up at 6:45 PM, you would think that one would be satisfied for the night.

9:15 PM rolls around and what do you know? Little Miss Muffet is STARVING. What??? How can you be hungry after that dinner? I try to tell her we had dinner already and it's bedtime. Some times that appeases. Not this time! She continues whining and fussing. I really was not in the mood. She already brushed her teeth, and once you bring out the food for one, they all want to eat. Serious bedtime buster!

Being sensitive to hunger, especially at bedtime, I pulled out my "have a banana" trick.

It goes like this:

Child: "Mom, I'm STARVING."
Mom: "Well, if you really need to eat, you can have a banana."
Child: "No, I don't want a banana."
Mom: "Well, you must not be very hungry then."
Child: "I want a sandwich."
Mom: "You can have a banana or go get in bed."
Child: "I don't want a banana."
Mom: "OK - go get in bed then."
Child: "No, I want a banana."

Bananas are a great filler food, quick to eat, no mess, no preparation. If she's really hungry, a banana will do. If she's not that hungry and she's avoiding bedtime, stalling, or "kind of hungry", the banana will not sound too appealing and bedtime will be the choice. This tactic has worked for years to determine, "Are you really hungry or just giving me fits at bedtime?"

The only catch is you have to have bananas in the house. No bananas? I use applesauce or a piece of bread as a replacement. If you let her make her own choice, basically a free for all, you'll have the "Hungry at Bedtime" battle every night!

Back to last night - she quickly ate the banana and got in bed. I should have had her brush her teeth again, but I was already in bed and my kids know that rule. More on that another day!

Bananas...the great hunger-determiner. Hey, Chiquita, what about that for a slogan??

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!