I’m pretty sure other parents working at home through this have experienced the steady stream of requests from their little ones. Whether it’s asking for yet another snack or asking to watch something different on TV, Erin and I are probably fielding and responding to a request from one or both kids on the average about once every 1.7 minutes.
The requests differ in tone, depending on the child. Henry is a very direct, type-A CEO sort, so he’ll suddenly blurt out with a sense of discovery, “Oh, I hungry. Let’s go.” And then just walk toward the pantry. I imagine him running a large company someday and watching very similar scenes play out with a group of employees diligently taking notes and walking behind him.
Amelia is a bit more the schmoozer, so at least 15 times a day, we hear “[Mom or Dad], I’m still a little bit hungry.” On the DISC personality scale, I figure Amelia is probably an “I.” That stands for “influencer” and she does indeed have a way of pitching something in a way that makes the other person think it was their idea all along.
No matter the approach, next comes the request for the banana, apple, chips, popcorn, pickle, nuts, dried cranberries, Larabar or whatever the flavor of that moment is.
Now to be clear, we do have a rule that before any snack is considered, the previous meal has to have been eaten. That itself is easier said than done (see previous post, Food Fight!). Still just having to field the request, whether granted or not, is a constant soundtrack in our lives. If you aren’t a parent and want to have a good idea of the experience, just record the words “I want!” and play it back on a continuous loop for several years.
It does make focusing on any given task, other than snack acquisition, very challenging. Because if you aren’t getting a snack, you are explaining for the 538th time why a snack cannot be had at that particular point in time.
From a position of pure scientific curiosity, I do wonder how they can possibly eat as much as they do, always be hungry, and still stay so slim. I gain a pound if I take the twist-tie off a package of bread.
I suppose it is a matter of metabolism. And I do remember on the 1990s TV series version of The Flash, after running at super speeds and solving crimes, Barry Allen would eat all the food in his apartment.
I’ve at times thought that maybe my kids are imbued with the Speed Force, but snail’s pace that they move at when we’re trying to get them out the door in time for school pops a big hole in that theory.
I guess getting out the door for school isn’t a problem we’ll be dealing with anytime soon. All in all, I’d say we’re doing pretty well with everything, but that’s not to say that anxiety and stress doesn’t creep in some days. These are mighty weird days we are living in.
And while we are somewhat adjust to the current reality, that doesn’t mean that the universe doesn’t like to prank us a little now and then. This reminder came up on my phone:
Yup, we were supposed to be flying to Hawaii on Tuesday. But now…not so much. But hey, that’s cool. I can always make a mai tai and hang out at the abandoned sand volleyball court in the neighborhood. Pretty much the same thing. But I better be sure to bring some snacks.
