GRADE-SCHOOL STAGE
I’d feed them foods I don’t like
As a kids, I was an extremely picky eater. (I regularly skipped the meals my mom cooked in favor of a bowl of buttered noodles and canned tuna.) I’ve come a long way as an adult, but there are still foods I’m wary of—like fresh tomatoes. When my kids were babies and toddlers, I tried to incorporate foods I disliked into their meals and snacks, determined not to repeat the cycle. But I admit, I got lazy–and honestly, I didn’t want to eat those foods myself! And now neither of my kids likes fresh tomatoes, and they don’t eat other foods I don’t care for such as eggplant and baked beans.
I’d get them in the kitchen more
My younger kid (sometimes begrudgingly) helps me make our HelloFresh meals. And I’m thrilled that my college kid got motivated to cook when he moved off campus and regularly makes new recipes he sees on TikTok . But I wish I had made kitchen jobs standard operating procedure with both of my boys from an early age. Not only would it have built those skills sooner, but it would’ve also given me a break.
I’d have them pack their own lunches sooner
As much as I like giving lunch box ideas on this site, packing lunches eventually became a chore that fell somewhere between “scrub shower walls” and “put new sheets on the top bunk” on my list of dreaded household tasks–mostly because it seemed to endlessly stretch into eternity forever and ever and on and on. After a few failed attempts, I finally got my two kids packing independently at ages 9 and 13, but they could’ve started even younger.
Read more: Teach Your Kid To Pack Their Own Lunch in Just 5 Days
I’d make more vegetarian meals
I leaned on meat-and-potatoes meals a lot when the boys were younger because that’s what my husband and kids liked best. In hindsight, I wish I had pushed harder with more meatless meals. Everyone would’ve gotten more comfortable with them over time, and it would’ve been lighter on our budget too. Here are two they did like: Kid-Friendly Tofu Bowls and Veggie Stir-Fry with Noodles.
