"Tiger Lily" > wrote in message
...

> ok, let's put this another way
>
> what would you do if an adult berated you in the same manner? would you
> tell them that you don't deserve NOR appreciate being talked to like that?
> wouldn't you give them some 'rules' about respecting you?
>
> teenlet went thru a phase where he felt he could be rude to me..........
> we had a long talk about that, then wrote up a contract of 'how to
> communicate with others' that applies not only to us, but to everyone
>
> so.................??????????

It really didn't bother me in the manner that she said it. I can't remember
exactly what she said now. It was several years ago. But something like,
"How could you make me eat something that is sooo disgusting?" And I have
to agree with her there. Although I didn't "make" her eat it. There were
certain foods I was fed as a child that I vowed never to feed my children.
Asparagus was among them. She wanted to try it. She is good to try things,
and from what I've heard, most children aren't.

I don't generally even "make" her eat things and probably 3/4 of the time
she gets to eat what she wants, given certain parameters. There have been a
few times recently though when I put my foot down. I had to cook/prepare
some certain food because it was about to go bad or because I had limited
time and I told her that was what we were having for dinner. She didn't
want what I fixed and I told her it was that or nothing.

More recently she pitched a fit when I made hamburgers, a food that I gather
most kids would love to eat. Again, I don't blame her because as a child, I
hated hamburgers. The reason for this meal is that she has several packages
of gluten free hamburger buns that will go bad next month. I used to have
to mail order them and pay hefty postage, so I got a lot at once. They are
sealed in such a way that they will keep for a year or two after they are
baked, so long as the package isn't open. But once they expire they seem to
go bad instantly.

Now, a local store carries them so I can purchase as needed. I tried some
Sloppy Joes because she asked to try them. Another food I never really
liked, but I had one anyway. She didn't like them at all. I simply told
her we would be having hamburgers once a week until we make a dent in the
buns. On other days she is getting the buns sent in her lunch with some
kind of lunch meat on them. It's a good meal for me time-wise and neither
she nor my husband have seemed to like any of the many crock pot meals I
have made. Alas, I have liked pretty much all that I tried.

The problem I have is all of the dance classes she is taking. One day, we
usually eat out after class. The class is in another city. I leave some
prepared food or a leftover (not likely in this house) for my husband or he
goes out for Pho which he loves and we can't eat.

Two nights we get home late because she has back to back classes and I need
to either have something waiting in the crock pot or be able to fix a super
quick meal. Now Angela and my husband would both be happy to eat pasta with
red sauce and meat for both of those nights. And while this is a quick
meal, I prefer to have something a little less carby. Once a week, I can do
it, but that's my limit. Most of the other people at the dance studio go to
the nearby Teriyaki place and get food to go. We have done that a few times
for my husband, but there is nothing Angela can eat there aside from the
plain white rice. I've never actually tried the stuff, but it just doesn't
appeal to me.

Then there is one night when I have errands to run as soon as she gets home
from school. Why then? Because my box of organic produce doesn't arrive
until just before she gets home. I try to combine my errands into one trip
to save some gas. So we are rushing around and it's either get salad bar or
prepared food from Central Market or fix something quick at home. We both
LOVE the salad bar but the price is so high, I've been trying not to get it.

Then the remaining week day is the only day we have for making any
appointments she might need. Of course we don't have appointments every
week. So once in a while I can make a meal that takes longer to prepare.
And I have one day on the weekend when I can usually make whatever I want
to.

Hopefully next year will be better. If all continues to go as it has been,
her dance classes will be at least an hour later than they are now. This
will allow me to cook the food and have it ready when she gets home from
school. Then again, the owner of the dance studio is hinting that she is
moving elsewhere. She wants to combine the two studios so people don't have
to commute back and forth. Not a problem for me, not yet anyway. Mainly a
problem for those parents with more than one kid of different skill levels.
The higher levels are all at the studio in the other city. I don't mind
driving there, but if I had to go back and forth between the two studios, I
know I wouldn't like it.

Ah... It's always something.