October 8, 2008
My daughter, food detective
Written by EmilyMcKay in Jaunty PostI have a secret. Sometimes, when no one is watching I sneak sweets. Yes, it’s a bad habit, but it’s how I was raised. My mother taught me how from an early age. For example, when you arrive home from the grocery store, the ice cream is probably a little melted. So you can skim a little off the top–just the slushy part–and it’s almost unnoticeable. And if you have a sheet cake, you slice about a quarter inch off the cut edge and no one can tell.
I know. It’s crazy and strange, but this is just the way I was raised.
So it’s probably no surprise that I like to keep a little chocolate stashed away in the pantry to pop in my mouth from time to time. Hey, life is stressful. Sometimes you just need a handful of Ghirardelli chocolate chips while on hold with the credit card company. Or a Dove chocolate mid-way through the ten-thousandth viewing of Blues Clues, The Pool Party.
For a long stretch of my daughter’s life, I could get away with this behavior, but no more. She has some preternatural sixth sense when it comes to candy. Or I don’t know, maybe I’m just less good at silently unwrapping foil-covered chocolates than I think I am. Whatever it is, nine times out of ten, as soon as I pop something tasty in my mouth she trots over to me, places her hands on either side of my face and sniffs my breath.
“What you have?” she’ll ask, we sweet little face mere centimeters from mine.
And so I’ve passed the torch to the next generation. Without meaning to, I’ve taught my daughter to sneak food.
Do have any bad habits you’ve unintentionally passed on to your children?
As promised, I’m having another contest. If you reply today, you’ll be automatically entered to win a copy of my previous book, Baby on the Billionaire’s Doorstep, which is the prequel to my current book, Baby Benefits.
If you entered last time, be sure to enter again, because I’ve got a special treat for everyone who enters each time I run this contest.
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Shana Says:
I don’t think my mom ever sneaked candy or sweets–she is just too disciplined–but she would hide it from my dad all the time. When he’d find one of her hiding places, she’d have to find another. She got pretty creative!
Margo Maguire Says:
My kids were always great detectives, too, Emily! No matter what kind of treat it was, they could smell it the minute the entered the room!
eap Says:
I don’t have any kids but I wish I was discliped about eating. I tend to eat well for a couple of days then eat bad for a day then the cycle repeats itself.
diane Says:
My mother was disciplined and with her good influence I am the same. But I do still sneak chocolate every so often as a treat.
Quilt Lady Says:
Yes I have a bad habit with sweets. That is why I can’t loose weight. I have also noticed my son has a sweet tooth too. He keeps something sweet in his room all the time. Now he is not over weight yet, but I am sure it will happen to him.
cheryl c. Says:
I am afraid that I passed on my between-meal snacking to my adult kids. My own mother didn’t pass on any food habits, but she did pass on the “carry a big purse that holds everything but the kitchen sink” gene!
Maureen Says:
I am bad with sweets too which is why I won’t buy Halloween candy until just before the day. Otherwise I will just eat a bunch of it.
Lee Says:
My mother was a depression era baby, so she would over eat. She passed that on to me, which I passed on to my daughter. We have this thing about eating everything in front of us, even if we’re not hungry. And it has affected our health and weight…Once I realized it, I’ve worked with my daughter about it, and we’ve both managed to conquer it, and lose weight.
catslady Says:
Not so much about food as books. My oldest daughter loves to read as much as me and I have to confess I have been sneaking books into the house because I just can’t help it and I have way too many (at least my husband thinks so) lol. Now I don’t think my daughter is sneaking yet but she just got married and I’m betting on it lol.
I wanted to say I won Emily’s contest last month and I got the nicest surprise in the mail today. What great timing that it’s your turn to blog today. Thank you so much, Emily. I’m not going to say what it is unless I’m given permission in case it’s suppose to be a secret! BUT IS IS VERY, VERY NICE!!!!!!!!
Jane Says:
I don’t have any children, but my cousin is passing some of her habits to her daughter. The baby is a picky eater because her mother is picky. It makes it hard to get the baby to try new and healthy foods.
Fedora Says:
I’m not sure if my kids have picked up on my food sneaking yet (please, PLEASE no… I have to have a stash of my own!) but they’re kind of messy and a bit pack-rat-ish… uh, kind of like me
My husband (who is NOT messy OR the least bit pack-rat-ish) is in despair…
Stacie Mc Says:
Unfortunately, I’ve passed my bad habit of procrastinating to my son. I’ll tell you more about it later.
Shirley Karr Says:
My son is almost 15 months and I don’t think we’ve passed on any bad habits to him yet. My mom was quite surprised that he likes the Chicken DeLight pizza from Papa Murphy’s, artichoke hearts and all, a staple when we don’t want to cook.
Actually, in a way he’s passing good habits to us because of the changes I made for his benefit while I was pregnant, and we’re still trying to stick with the healthier eating habits … which most definitely include a small stash of high quality chocolate, to be eaten in moderation and not in secret.
Teresa W. Says:
No kids here but my mom passed on her addiction of chocolate covered cherries to me!
Lily Says:
I also have an addiction to chocolate… but I can say it could be worth!
Nathalie Says:
I like those small quotes in the Dove chocolates… makes me remember fortune cookies, but so much tastier!
Deidre Says:
Hmmmh, talking too much! Seriously, sometimes I can’t shut those kids up. LOL
Deidre