AM & PM Pre-K needs snack replenishment.
Like all dutiful moms, I made a mental note to pick up a package of something to help my little Obi-1 and his friends stay fueled throughout the afternoon. In my head, I wondered how I would figure out a nutritious snack that would satisfy a classroom of 4 and 5-year olds, without creating a repeat performance of the sanitizer wipes conundrum.
And so, days later, we were in that great place of consumerism, Costco. Upon seeing a large container of organic animal "crackers" (and let's all just agree these are cookies), I suggested to Obi-1 that they could be the snacks at his school. I expected some sort of tribute to my cool factor and declaration that I was the best mom ever. Okay, I just expected him to light up with excitement, as these animal cookies are pretty much a once-a-year treat for my guys.
Instead, he looked thoughtful and said, "I think I'd rather take fruit." Fruit? Really?! In my own shock, I failed to remember that I was the one who has raised him to think that fruit was delicious. Oh, yeah. Fruit. Good idea, Obi-1.
Since the snacks have to stock a cupboard, I looked at dried apples, raisins, and apricots with him. Always in favor of empowering my kids to make healthy choices, I asked what he thought his class would enjoy.
"Plums. I want to take plums."
"Plums? Um, but these are dried plums. Do you think everyone will like dried plums?"
"If they don't like the snack, they can just put it in the middle of the table."
My son, ever logical, wanted to take dried plums. It is a wonderfully nutritious snack, and easy to purchase for a classroom. It is also, at least I think, probably not the most requested snack for pre-kindergarten. While my mind wandered to "what-will-everyone-else-think" ridiculousness, my son was confident that his mom would give him a snack he liked, and if his friends liked it too, cool.
Cool, indeed. My mom & dad used to tell me that "cool" was being able to have confidence about who you were, even when (especially?) you were different from "everyone else." Or something like that. I was pretty distracted by trying to fit in, and may have missed some of their wisdom.
Evidently, Obi-1 has not missed the wisdom of being yourself, even if it means bringing dried plums for a snack at school. Even when the snack cupboard is filled with crackers of all sizes, and his is the only fruit-snack in sight. Even if a large percentage of children pile their plums in the middle of the table at snack time.
There are days when I just smile and think, "I have a really cool kid."
5 comments:
And I was thinking that I had missed all kinds of Kenobi Family stories by not visiting this site in a few weeks..... In one of the oddities (is that a word) of the english language, did you try to explain that dried plums are prunes? These are the little things that make me go hummmmm and I imagine it would Obi-1 as well. I might have to look that one up...
ah, yes - dried plums are prunes, and Obi-1 likes them very much. His class, however, were not big fans. A very apologetic teacher greeted me after school & suggested I take the remaining bag of "plums" home with me. She said they were delicious, and she, Obi-1, and the teacher's aid had enjoyed them very much. Most of the other kids, however, had returned the snack to the center of the table.
I asked Obi-1 about it after school, and he was very aware of, but not at all bothered by, his classmates' reaction to his snack. He was also very thankful that I'd let him take a snack to school. Somehow that made me very cool in his eyes.
Ha - I'm a cool mama.
GO Obi-1 =) I love those too, as do my girls. Jae thinks they have no taste. Whatever. I don't have speedy metabolism like him, so I eat those on occasion. Okay, too much info? ;) ha ha
He is just the coolest kid! Keep thinking outside the goldfish cracker box, child, you will go far.
It kills me that kids will inhale fruit leather, but they'll look at a dried plum or apricot with a "what IS this???" look. Guys, it's the same thing.
"Confidently Cool" -- good job OB-1! Early experiences and lessons develop foundation skills for later on. He can share his plums (and prunes) with Papa anytime!
Post a Comment