When I was growing up, there was a dinnertime rule we four kids all followed. At some point during the meal, we had to tell our mom the food was good. Whether we actually liked it (thankfully, we usually did) or not was irrelevant. What mattered was that we acknowledged the time and effort my mother had put into preparing yet another complete, nourishing dinner for her family of six. It’s no mean feat.
Fast forward a few years, and we’ve put this guideline into place in our own household, where I do most of the cooking. We encourage gratitude. Heck, you don’t even have to tell me it’s delicious (mind you, it usually is). Just say thank you – for taking the trouble to throw together something that both is reasonably edible and covers off on all the major food groups.
Remember that Family Guy episode in which title character Peter muses aloud that wife Lois must love cooking and cleaning – because, after all, she’s constantly doing it? Lois swiftly sets him straight. She doesn’t love it. She doesn’t even like it. She does it because she loves her family. Now, doesn’t that deserve some acknowledgement?
Does another person cook for you on a regular basis? Go tell them how much you appreciate it. They’ll enjoy hearing it, and I guarantee it will turn back in your favour… who knows, you may find yourself with a little extra dessert chocolate pudding.
Yum. Some images are rather more fun to photosource than others. (Photo courtesy of hyena reality / FreeDigitalPhotos.net)
As I’m sure we all do from time to time, those of us who do “most of the cooking” might feel unappreciated. I know that even if they don’t say it as often as I might like, I know that my family appreciates the efforts, and [usually] compliment the meal too. I try to be equally appreciative of the fact that I don’t do dishes very often. Thanks for this post, Lisa. I’m sure you are indeed a “Yummy Mommy.”
From one Yummy Mummy to another, thank you! I confess I get stuck with the dishes most of the time as well as the cooking. But my family does what they can, and usually with an open-hearted attitude – which I appreciate!