What Happened? Parenting Syles at Kroger

When I was a kid, my mom would try to go to the grocery store during the weekday, while we were at school - she'd plan the meals for the week, cook them and what was on the table each night was what we ate...she didn't make a special meal for me and a different one for my sister.

There wasn't any concern of gluten free needs or nut free or wheat free - no problems for any kids

Now, kids have so many dietary limits but do they? Really?  Now I know there are some TRUE allergies to certain foods but I find it hard to believe that 1/2 of Mrs. Jones 2nd grade class as a gluten allergy.  Really?  Especially when NONE of the kinds in my 2nd grade class were allergic to it but then again, that was quite a few years ago and parents didn't parent they way they do now.

As I said, mom my picked out our food for us, we seldom ate out.  It was a treat to do so.

When we opened our lunch bag at lunch time, we had some kind of sandwich on white bread (oh the horror) and it was generally peanut butter & jelly (Heaven forbid) or bologna with mayo or American cheese with mayo or sometimes - surprise - bologna & cheese - yummy - I loved those! We would often have a bag of chips in there and sometimes a pudding cup or an apple, once in a while (rare), we'd have a Little Debbie Snack cake - we didn't always have dessert in the bag though.

We ate it, it was good, we didn't go home and complain to mom that we didn't have this or that or that we were sick of this or that - we ate what we had or if we preferred, they'd give us lunch money to buy our lunch in the cafeteria.

Today at Kroger, I witnessed, not one, not two but THREE different families letting their 5 year old pick out the groceries.  Both their mom and dad were in tow.

Mom:  Anna Grace (little girls these days always seem to be called 2 names) - do you want cottage cheese this week?

Dad: Make sure you get the fat free

Anna Grace: Meh

Mom: Honey, tell mommy if you want cottage cheese this week

Anna Grace: Okay, I guess

Mom: Good, do you want this brand or this brand

(I am not making this up)

Anna Grace:  **  points to one of them

Mom: Are you sure?

Anna Grace:  ** nods, then walks over to ice cream freezer

Dad: No, honey, you can have some frozen fruit pops if you want some, do you want some?

Anna Grace:   - I want those - as she points to ice cream sandwiches

Dad:  Anna Grace, those aren't good - let's get some fresh fruit pops (dad gets some Blueberry Acai fruit pops then tells mom he is getting Nutty Bars for him)

Anna Grace: Meh

Mom:  Anna Grace, do you want some cheese stick for your lunch, do you like mozzarella or cheddar?

Anna Grace: Cheddar

Mom: Do you want this brand, this brand or this brand?  Come away from the ice cream, Anna Grace and pick out your cheese sticks.

Anna Grace: I want both

Mom: Okay - I'll get both

Dad: Did you get the gluten free bread for her morning avocado toast?

Mom: We need to head over to that aisle

Me: Standing off to the side, rolling my eyes out of their view...and thinking "are you kidding me?"

This was just one family - there were 2 others very similar that I witnessed - the kid was picking out everything and the parents were just asking them if this or that was okay with them.

Now I get wanting to buy your kid something that is healthy and something they will eat but....we ate what we were given!  My mom knew enough about us to know what we liked and didn't.  She knew if she made tuna sandwiches, we wouldn't eat it.

Mom didn't have to say "Now, I know you don't like tuna, honey bun, but do you want Jif or Peter Pan?  NOPE - mom got what was on sale!

For crying out loud - be the adult, take charge!!!