From the first moment she brings her children into the world, the mother undertakes to raise them, of course, primarily by providing them with the food they need. Either through breastfeeding or with powdered milk, the mother is usually the one who takes care of the feeding.
Indeed, as long as we are talking about the baby’s formula, things are easy. Yes, babies are always hungry and need to be fed very often, but making milk is infinitely simpler than preparing regular meals – in the case of breastfeeding, even simpler.
Then, the… difficult things begin. At the beginning we introduce foods, we carefully choose the best for our children, the right meat, the vegetables and fruits he needs, so that he gets all the nutrients that will make him a “big and strong child”. The expression of the baby tasting food for the first time in addition to its milk, is etched in the mother’s memory forever: The whole little face lights up with either longing or disgust and the baby, full of curiosity, seeks to see what it was that he felt .
For most moms, that’s when the feeding “fight” begins, as they struggle with tricks, songs and stories to feed their babies or even to convince them to open their mouths and eat. It is that period when how much the baby ate, if it gained the right weight, if it is developing normally, are the constant worries of the mother, who knows deep down that she must make sure that her little one is fed properly.
Somehow, very soon, moms become queens of the kitchen, are made the chefs of the family and constantly cook for their children: Breakfast, lunch, lunch, afternoon and dinner, everything passes through their hands and minds. Countless recipes, ideas, experiments because that time when the children sit at the table to eat mom’s food, is precious for the whole family. And on this food, which helps children to be healthy, lively and happy, the daily bonding of the family, the contact, the exchange of experiences and feelings takes place. The kitchen becomes the hearth of the house and the mom-chef takes it upon herself to become the most… delicious and delicious connecting link for loved ones.
This is the point, of course, where the taste peculiarities and requirements begin: “I don’t like the green ones, mom”, “mom, take away the red ones”, “those are blah, mom, I don’t want them on my plate” and at the same time, countless times during the day the well-known and oft-said “mom I am hungry” and the next most popular question, “Mom, what shall we eat?”!
And that’s where mom takes over again with new ways, new tricks, new fairy tales and of course, new recipes and new puzzles to solve: How to hide the broccoli in the omelette, how to make delicious sweets without sugar, how to cook today chicken to make it interesting, how we will prepare the fish so that everyone will eat it with appetite. And it is probably this constant vigilance in which our children keep all of us mothers, that gives us new zest let’s continue in the kitchen with strength… non stop!
At the same time, it is somewhere there that we also get our unique helpers, since the kitchen, cooking, pots seem to be the most interesting occupation for toddlers, who anyway want to spend time with mom in everything she does. What mom hasn’t turned her kitchen into a makeshift playground for messy play with flour, sugar, cocoa and endless mixing; Gradually, of course, this phase passes, only the very familiar remains “shall I try?”, “give me the spoon when you’re done» and mom alone again, in the kitchen…
Because, as our little ones grow – at a rapid pace, as most of us agree – so do their nutritional needs: They eat more and more, more and more often and soon, the children’s food “mom i’m not hungry” it is done “Mom, I’m hungry more” and later “what is there to eat?”. And so we moms continue to look for nutritious and delicious recipes, we continue to put all our art and creativity into the kitchen, we continue to prepare the table as many times a day as necessary. And only when – when, when the fatigue and demands of the day overwhelm us, when we just want a little rest, only then do we state it sharply and vertically: “The kitchen is closed for today, do something yourself”!