When I was a little girl, one of my favorite pretend games was being a waitress. I’d don an apron, grab a notepad, and take food orders, spending hours in the kitchen whipping up meals for my siblings (and my stuffed animals, of course). It was a joy to serve everyone from my own little kitchen!
Well, guess what? Fast forward a couple of decades, and I’m still serving—only now it’s a never-ending cycle of meal preparation for a full house. I’m pretty sure I’ve worn a permanent groove into my kitchen floor from all the trips between the fridge, pantry, and stove. The irony isn’t lost on me, especially since my family keeps coming back for more, even after they just ate.
Can a mom/waitress get a moment to breathe? Seriously, everyone just ate five minutes ago!
If your home is anything like mine, the kitchen is always open for business. It’s a relentless routine of preparing, cooking, and cleaning up, just to start the whole process again. I honestly don’t remember growing up with constant access to snacks or being on any snack schedule. My mom didn’t whip up elaborate meals—most of our dinners came from a box with “Helper” on it, and we were in and out of the kitchen in no time.
And those fridges filled with organic snacks? In my childhood, that was just a box of raisins, with the instruction to come back when the streetlights turned on for a TV dinner. We were left to fend for ourselves, playing outside until the sun went down. Who had time to hang around the kitchen waiting for someone to serve them? I guess today’s kids do, because when they’re not eating, they’re rummaging around looking for something to snack on, or opening yet another bag of chips when three others are already half-empty. Are you serious right now?
My kids have outgrown the babyproofing phase and are now in what I like to call the “raccoon stage.” I’ll go to bed with a spotless kitchen, only to wake up to chaos that looks like a wild party happened overnight. This stage, as I call it, is defined by living with ‘tweens and teenagers and their insatiable appetites.
These kids are always hungry, like bears emerging from hibernation, endlessly searching for food. I’ve even resorted to hiding snacks around the house. Who does that? It’s the same mom who just dropped a small fortune at the grocery store only to hear two days later, “Mom, there’s nothing to eat!”
Now, I’ve got these kids on strict rations. Looking for chips? Sorry, those are hidden in the back of my closet. Granola bars? Nope, they’re stashed in a box of tampons under the sink. Fudge bars? Check the frozen kale section. That’s right. Now get out of my kitchen!
Whenever a well-meaning friend tells me I’ll miss this chaos someday, I can’t help but daydream about a clean, quiet kitchen for a change. I imagine a life where “sandwich night” is the norm, and I can enjoy a “date night without kids” twice a week.
Miss those hefty grocery bills and my unintentional career as a waitress? Not a chance! I might just convert the kitchen into a shoe closet once they all leave home.
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Summary:
Parenting today can feel like an endless cycle of feeding and cleaning, often leading to a chaotic kitchen. With kids always looking for snacks, it’s a challenge to maintain order. While nostalgic for simpler times, parents can also find humor in the madness.