Why I am Feeding my Kid More Peanut Butter and Jelly

peanut-butter-and-jellyThere has been a lot of magic happening in our house the past few weeks. Particularly at lunch time.

Prior to this fall, my toddler has always helped me prepare lunch. However, when he went back to school a few weeks ago we have somehow fallen into a newroutine.

Everyday I pick him up and bring him home and he zones out watching a show on PBS while I cook lunch. He watches his show and then meanders over to the table where his food is waiting for him. It never fails that he exclaims,

“Wow! My lunch. Amazing.”

The look in his eyes is pure astonishment. Something magical happened while he was watching TV. It was as if the lunch fairies came and brought him lunch.

Or wait, that was just his mom in the kitchen. Either way, he has no idea because he had zero part in the process.

I am not a big fan of the lunch fairies getting all the credit for my hard work. Therefore, we are changing the routine. He is back to helping me make lunch. Somedays this means he just scoops the leftovers out of a bowl and puts them into the microwave (with help). Other days that means he gets a small bowl of peanut butter and jelly and he assembles his own sandwich. But he has a role.

I am all for appreciating a sense of wonder and amazement in children. However, I am also all for for teaching children to appreciate the work that goes into making all that magic happen in a home.

Young children are very capable members of our families. How do they help make the magic happen in your house?

Denaye Barahona

Denaye Barahona is a loving wife and mama of two. She's a therapist for moms, an author, and the host of the top-ranked Simple Families Podcast. Denaye holds a Ph.D. in Child Development and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She has been featured on the likes of The Today Show, Netflix, The Wall Street Journal, Real Simple, Forbes, and numerous other media outlets.