TV Dinners

I have a confession to make. Occasionally--maybe once a week--I let the kids eat in front of the TV. Sometimes it's because my beloved and I want to have a nice dinner alone without paying a sitter, sometimes it's because the meal I've prepared is lackluster and I know they won't notice or complain if they're watching Bob the Builder while the eat it, and sometimes it's because I'm just plain lazy and don't have the energy to fight the good fight.

I know this is taboo. It will increase their risk of obesity, the parenting books say, because they eat mindlessly when their attention is otherwise occupied. But here's the upside of mindless eating--they clear their plates, and if their plates are filled with lean meats, fruits, and vegetables, that's not such a bad thing.

Tonight, I was making dinner in a hurry before interviewing a source by phone for an article I'm writing, so I popped in a video to keep the kids occupied. And then I figured since I had just popped it in, I'd let them keep watching while they ate their grilled cheese and mixed veggies on the coffee table. I sat down on the floor near them to eat my leftover mini-meatloaf (a concoction they soundly rejected last night despite my leaving out any ingredient I thought might be objectionable).

"You know," I said guiltily, "we don't eat in front of the TV all the time."

"I know!" said our boy hastily, trying to silence me so I wouldn't disturb his viewing.

Then his little sister piped in with a clever insight: "Sometime we can sit on the other side of the table and look at the couch instead."