We Asked For Your Unexpected Dinnertime Adventures And You Did Not Disappoint

As we’ve all learned, parenting comes with its share of surprises. Some are good, like discovering your child has the painting talent of Picasso in his prime. Some are bad, like when they learn to curse. Raising a child is a process of meeting a new little person on every step they take through their childhood. And no matter where you are on your parenting journey, you’ve no doubt learned to expect the unexpected.

And dinnertime is no exception. You expect your child to be a picky eater, only to discover that she loves kale. Or maybe you’re a chef, only to be disappointed when the only thing your kid will eat is ketchup sandwiches. Who does that? Well, apparently your kid!

We asked moms to share something they never expected about dinnertime with kids and we must admit: many of your answers were flat-out disturbing! When things get contentious over the dinner table, some kids are quick to overreact. From wild tantrums and shouted death threats (!) to the five-year-old who wielded a fork against his own father, dinner drives some kids to a dark place. The food can’t be that bad! Apparently adults can misbehave too, as one mom responded, “My uncle’s not allowed at the kids table anymore.” Sometimes grownups need to be put in timeout too, it seems. “Arson” was another response. In the old days, that just meant that someone left the stove on.

But your responses weren’t all frightening. There’s always a pleasant surprise or two along the way. One mom told us about learning that her girls love spicy food just as much as does, beginning a spicy new era in her family’s meals. Not every family gathering is a battle, either. One mom said she was surprised by the togetherness of dinnertime. For the parents of picky eaters out there–and there were a lot of you–don’t give up. Another mom shared a story about how one time she cooked something and her picky son actually loved it. There is hope!

We’d be remiss if we didn’t talk about messes at the dinner table. Every parent knows raising kids is messy, and meals are probably the messiest project that families deal with on a regular basis. We heard about all kinds of messes, from food thrown on the floor to spaghetti eaten with a spoon. It complicates matters when parents are just as messy as their kids, like the one mom who told us she dropped a whole container of chocolate milk powder on herself at the dinner table. It’s tough to reprimand your kids with a straight face after an incident like that.

Many Moms related that dinnertime brings out their kids’ most irritating behaviors. Whatever happened to “you get what you get and you don’t get upset?” One mom told us her kids requested chili, only to reject it for being the wrong color. Use your imagination! And one Mom faced the ultimate stalemate: her kids requested chicken nuggets, she obliged, and the kids refused to eat them. Nightmarish. Some kids learned more sophisticated techniques for turning down food: in one family, they wouldn’t tell mom they didn’t like her food, but would leave the table to use the restroom after a single bite. It really highlights the struggle that faces every parent in a kitchen: successful family dining is a combination of great ingredients, effort in the kitchen, and a heavy dollop of negotiation and persuasion.

As your kids get older and their tastes develop, you’ll remember all these moments, fork attacks and all, with a laugh. You’re doing the best you can, and even if they don’t like your shakshuka now, they’ll thank you later…hopefully. For now, sometimes it’s best to stick to the fan favorites like spaghetti and meatballs, featuring RAGÚ^® Old World Style^® Traditional Sauce.

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