9 p.m., child says, "But I never had dinner! That was lunch!"

[dragons in the flower bed]

At some point, they'll figure out that they can't make meals up later, right?

 

Me: "After lunch we're doing school. Your planners* are filled out for the day."

7yo: "But this is my breakfast. I haven't eaten yet."

Me: "This is still your lunch. You skipped breakfast."

7yo: "No, this would be my breakfast and I'd eat lunch at dinnertime."

Me: "Breakfast is the meal you have before 11 a.m. If you don't eat before then, you've skipped breakfast."

7yo: knows to stop arguing at this point

 

Three minutes later, I hear, from the kitchen, from the 7yo, "Guys, stop messing around and get your breakfast." I respond by shouting across the house, "LUNCH!"

 

When do children outgrow this misunderstanding? I've been arguing with them on this point for seven years.

 

*At some point I will document the odd system we're using now, but it's more or less a crate full of things they can do by themselves plus an assignment book in which I write the day's work. So I just say, "Do school," and they do it, though I check in with them as needed.

[myfunnybunch]

LOL.

 

I think they understand perfectly.

 

When they are grown they will sit around laughing and reminiscing about how they'd get Mom going about the distinctions between breakfast, lunch and dinner. ;)

 

Cat

[hornblower]

LOL.

 

I think they understand perfectly.

 

When they are grown they will sit around laughing and reminiscing about how they'd get Mom going about the distinctions between breakfast, lunch and dinner. ;)

 

Cat

 

:iagree:

 

Hon, as I like to say: they don't just have your #, they've got you on speed-dial.

[KidsHappen]

Never, although somewhere along the line they start making up words like brunch (well, that one was already here), lunner (between lunch and dinner), or try to have both dinner and supper and they were thrilled with the idea of second lunch. Since we eat whatever we want (we might have pancakes for dinner)anyhow, I guess it doesn't much matter what we call it. :001_smile:

[dragons in the flower bed]

:iagree:

 

Hon, as I like to say: they don't just have your #, they've got you on speed-dial.

 

 

 

:lol: I guess you're right.

 

My partner's grandmother used to say that you probably have to argue with your kids about something so you'd better pick something that is far from a serious matter.

[tiffijo1]

this is what I grew up with...in South Dakota

[Mejane]

Well, mine are 14 and 17 and they still try it. :glare: Some days my kids eat breakfast at 11, and then want to eat "lunch" at 3. I make them wait an hour, eat at 4 and call it dinner because I'm sure not cooking "dinner" at 8 or 9pm.

[sarawatsonim]

We go through this at my house, I think she uses it to stay up later. "I didn't eat dinner and I am starving", is usually the claim (and said two seconds after I tell her to get ready for bed). Although she did eat dinner, lunch but usually not much for breakfast because she is never hungry when she wakes up.

[MariannNOVA]

It happens here all the time. It all seems to hinge on THREE meals a day --doesn't matter when......there have to be THREE.:glare:

[simka2]

This is my night at least 3 times a week!!! Not to mention the "...BUT WE DIDN"T GET A SNACK!!!!!!!" As I tell them to go brush their teeth!!!! Uggggghhhh!

[dragons in the flower bed]

This is my night at least 3 times a week!!! Not to mention the "...BUT WE DIDN"T GET A SNACK!!!!!!!" As I tell them to go brush their teeth!!!! Uggggghhhh!

 

This makes me glad my kids have no idea there exists such a thing as "snack time."

[simka2]

It happens here all the time. It all seems to hinge on THREE meals a day --doesn't matter when......there have to be THREE.:glare:

 

Three meals and three snacks here!!!! Okay, min of three snacks:glare:

 

And yet there still in the 2% on weight...darn dh's metabolism!!!!!

[TKDmom]

You guys must have left your kids at my house. They're driving me crazy. PLEASE pick them up and take them back home with you!!

[Emmy]

We went through a (L O N G) stage with my 2nd son where at bedtime he was convinced we had somehow gypped him out of a meal from that day. Every night as we were tucking him in he would say - what was breakfast? What was lunch? What was dinner? And we would say....cereal, peanut butter and jelly, etc. No meal skipping for that one. :D

[TXMomof4]

My kids have decided they're hobbits and need a second breakfast and "elevensies". They eat breakfast (cereal) before I'm really going for the day, then they want a real breakfast as well. I'm going to go broke feeding these monsters!

[The Girls' Mom]

My kids have decided they're hobbits and need a second breakfast and "elevensies". They eat breakfast (cereal) before I'm really going for the day, then they want a real breakfast as well. I'm going to go broke feeding these monsters!

 

 

:lol:

 

Mine too!!

[KidsHappen]

My kids have decided they're hobbits and need a second breakfast and "elevensies". They eat breakfast (cereal) before I'm really going for the day, then they want a real breakfast as well. I'm going to go broke feeding these monsters!

 

Yes, that's what I meant above. We also usually eat dinner around 7:00 the have to be in bed, laying down, going to sleep at 10:00 and they are convinced that they must eat again between dinner and bedtime. The problem is that they never eat very much at one time and they are vegetarians so they need to eat frequently.

[Terabith]

Oh my gosh, my kids do that too!